FILE - Europe's Gemma Dryburgh plays her tee shot on the 4th hole during her single match at the Solheim Cup golf tournament in Finca Cortesin, near Casares, southern Spain, on Sept. 24, 2023. Defending champion Dryburgh shot a 5-under 67 on Thursday, Nov. 2, in the first round of the Toto Japan Classic at the Taiheiyo Club in Omitama, Japan. She is four strokes off the lead. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue, File)
OMITAMA, Japan (AP) – Japanese golfers Shiho Kuwaki and Nasa Hataoka shared the top of the leaderboard with a two-stroke lead after the second round of the LPGA’s Japan Classic on Friday.
Kuwaki carded her second straight round of 7-under 65, and Hataoka came in with a 66, putting them both at 14-under 130 for the two rounds.
Three players were two shots back – Xiyu Lin of China, Japanese players Mone Inami and Akie Iwai. Lin had a 67, Inami shot 68 and Iwai, after an opening round of 63, carded 69 on Friday.
Sora Kamiya shot 67 and is three back in a tight field. Eight players are four off the pace, and seven more are only five behind. Defending champion Gemma Dryburgh shot 69 and is six strokes behind at the Taiheiyo Club in north central Japan.
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