Pattaya (Thailand) – February 22, 2019 (travelindex.com) – South Korean Jenny Shin secured the lead on Friday during an exciting second round of the Honda LPGA Thailand 2019 Ladies Golf Tournament at Siam Country Club Pattaya Old Course in Chonburi Province with a birdie on the last hole.

The world number 67 from South Korea shot a 68 on Friday, including five birdies and one bogey, and leads the field by one stroke at 11 under par. Three players are tied for second place at 10 under par: American Lizette Salas, Australian Minjee Lee, and South Korean Eun-Hee Ji.

Shin said she felt the heat and believed she could have played better: “I didn’t drink enough this morning and I noticed it in the late afternoon. I think I could have sunk a few more putts. I’ll make sure to drink more tomorrow.”

Salas, 29, said she was satisfied with the shared second place, adding that she had spent the off-season training intensively in the gym. “I’m no longer a beginner, but an experienced player, so it’s time to get serious. I’ve found that I can play more aggressively on the dribble, and that’s slowly paying off,” she said.

The two Thai golf superstars, the Jutanugarn sisters, played very different rounds on Friday. World No. 18 Moriya got off to a brilliant start in her second round, carding three consecutive birdies on holes 6, 7, and 8, followed by more birdies on holes 11, 17, and 18. However, she carded a bogey on the 9th hole, finishing her first nine holes with a score of 34 (two under par). At the end of the day, she was tied for ninth place on the leaderboard with seven other players.

The 13th hole proved to be her unlucky hole, and she carded a bogey, the only blemish in the second half of her round.

After her round, Moriya said she had worked on her swing but was overall satisfied with her game. "I've been working with a coach for a while now, but it's something I'm still working on, and it's not that easy. I'm close to getting it right, but sometimes things just don't go perfectly. I just have to be patient."

She said the small changes in her game took time, but they were improving her game. "I just try to focus on each individual shot and keep going. Everyone can have a bad shot, but if I have a bad shot, I put it behind me and try to look ahead."

Moriya, who celebrated her first tour victory last season, said she needs to continue working on her game and hopes that the good results will follow. "I need to keep working on myself, remain patient, and simply do my best."

When asked if she wanted to take over the world number one ranking from her younger sister Ariya, Moriya laughed and said she would be lying if she said no. "Well, if I said no, that would mean I was lying. Of course, I want to do my best, but I'm not really focused on what position I'm aiming for, just on what I can do on the golf course and give it my all."

Moriya added that it was great to play in Thailand. “I’ve played on this golf course so many times that it feels like I grew up here, even though I only play in this tournament once a year now. I always receive a very warm welcome here.”

When asked if it was nice to be the leading Thai player, Moriya laughed and replied diplomatically: "Well, many are still playing, there are still many holes to play and there are still many birdie opportunities." At the end of the game, she remained the leading Thai player.

The younger sister Ariya, the world's number one in women's golf, started well with a birdie on the 1st hole, but then had a bogey on the 5th and an unusual double bogey on the 6th. She finished her first nine holes with 40 strokes (+4).

The world number one carded four birdies and no bogeys on the back nine, finishing the day with a 72 in a tie for 19th place. "The first nine holes weren't so good, but I definitely recovered on the back nine. I'm confident for tomorrow, but I still have a lot of things to work on," Ariya said after her round. "I need to be more focused."

Ariya admitted she wasn't satisfied with her performance in recent tournaments. "After carding a bogey and then a double bogey, I was worried and anxious. It was quite difficult for me. I'm nervous and worried because I haven't played well in the last few tournaments."

"I think we need to understand that we are human, therefore we will always make mistakes and always have worries. I am very happy when the children come to me and say, 'You inspire me,' and that means a lot to me."

The sisters are well positioned and within striking distance of the tightly packed field above them as the third round begins.

Pannarat Thanapolboonyaras achieved the third-best result of the eight Thai players in the field, finishing her second round one under par in a tie for 39th place. Pornanong Phatlum was one stroke behind at par, followed by amateur Attaya Thitikul one stroke over par.

Thai Thidapa Suwannapura also had one over and was tied for 48th place.

Seventy of the world's best female tennis players are competing for a total prize purse of 1.6 million US dollars, with the winner receiving 240,000 US dollars.

The first Honda LPGA Thailand was held at Amata Spring Country Club in 2006, before moving to the Old Course at Siam Country Club Pattaya in 2007. The tournament was not held in 2008, but returned to the LPGA calendar in 2009, played on the Plantation Course at Siam Country Club Pattaya. In 2010, the tournament moved back to the Old Course, where it has been held ever since.

From 2006 to 2009 and again since 2011, the tournament has been known as the Honda LPGA Thailand. The 2019 Honda LPGA Thailand is organized by IMG Thailand, with Honda Automobile (Thailand) Company as the main sponsor. Co-sponsors include the Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT), the National Sports Development Fund, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), and the Betagro Group. Other partners include Siam Daikin Sales Company, EVA Airways Corp., Siam GS Sales Company, AON (Thailand) Limited, the Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (TCEB), Boon Rawd Brewery Company, Aero Media Group, ECCO Golf, Ricoh Thailand, Under Armour Thailand, Suntory PepsiCo Beverage (Thailand) Company, Charn Issara Estate, the Dusit Thani Pattaya Hotel, ThreeSixtyFive Public Company, Bridgestone Golf, Bangkok Hospital Pattaya, NEC, and CNX Golf Company.