Fujii shoots 9-under 61 to lead; Wie misses cut
By Ann Miller
Advertiser Staff Writer
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| KANE: Shot a 66 with four birdies, no bogeys |
The exemption proved remarkably worthy yesterday. Kasumi Fujii, fourth on the JLPGA money list last year, scorched Waikoloa's Beach Course in the second round, shooting a 9-under-par 61 to move to 13-under 127 for the tournament. Fujii's round — two off Parker McLachlin's course record — included 10 birdies and a bogey.
"I felt a lot of energy when I got going," said Fujii through an interpreter. "I felt I was able to give more and more and more. I felt so positive that everything was within reach today."
Fujii, who has one JLPGA victory, goes into the final round two ahead of Lorie Kane and three up on 2001 LPGA Player of the Year Annika Sorenstam. Both shot 66 on yet another ideal Big Island day — the same score that pulled out a victory for Kane last year at Kona Country Club.
Sorenstam finished second then and the year before. For a player with 31 victories, including 10 coming from behind, that is all but the ultimate in frustration.
"I'm ready for a little revenge, ready to move up," Sorenstam said. "I have done well over here. That's why I'm here, because I like it. I have been very, very close. Lost in a playoff (to Karrie Webb) two years ago and last year Lorie played very well. She really won that event.
"I'd like to win it."
Sorenstam has earned the right to speak with such candor. The only reason she is not in the LPGA's Hall of Fame now is because she is two years shy of its 10-year membership requirement. She has been particularly impressive in paradise, with six top-10 finishes — including a victory in the 1997 Hawaiian Ladies Open — in eight Hawai'i LPGA events. She even won the Rainbow Wahine Invitational when she played for Arizona.
Fujii, 34, can't match Sorenstam's spectacular resume, but she played in a zone all her own yesterday. Fujii birdied six of her first eight holes — three-putting No. 5 for her only bogey — then threw another four birdie putts in on the back.
"My body was out of energy," claimed Fujii, whose previous low was 65, "but the first two birdies woke me up very fast.
"In Japan I have had birdies one after another before, but it was different today. Even yesterday was different because I didn't feel like I got a birdie, and then before you know it, I looked at my card and it was birdie after birdie. I was like, wow!"
Fujii had an interesting theory to explain her success: The American crowd.
"When you do this ... play really good and have a bad shot, the spectators in Japan really feel it and get very worried for you," she said. "You can really feel it in the crowd. It is a different type of negative energy that makes you nervous. Here it was different because the spectators were not negative and you could feel the energy to keep me going even on a bad shot."
Kane, who has just one bogey in two days, characterized Fujii's brilliance simply as "on fire," and hardly a shock.
"They can play, downright play," Kane said. "It's no surprise there's a Japanese player at the top of the board — that's not a member of our tour. I'm sure Takefuji is happy."
Kane's four birdies yesterday all came on putts of eight feet or less. The most spectacular was also the most fortunate — she launched her approach shot too long on No. 9 and it collided with the flag, stopping three feet from the hole.
She and Sorenstam will play together for the third straight round today. Clearly, the pairing is a par-buster. Kane and Sorenstam agreed the Swede "left a lot out there, yesterday and today," yet still has a good shot at today's $135,000 first prize.
It is an acquired gift that sets the truly special apart.
"I'm very pleased with my scores," Sorenstam said. "Not as happy with my game. If it's not windy here, the course is very short. It's playing 6,100 (yards), which is nothing. And hardly any rough. It's an easy golf course, built for the wind. You can go very low here and I have not been able to do that because I'm not hitting the ball as solid as I think I can.
"It's really up to me, but I think I can go low here."
Betsy King (70-136) and Charlotta Sorenstam (68-135) —ÊAnnika's little sister — were the only other golfers to get within five shots of Fujii. Both found Waikoloa's version of disaster late, with King closing double bogey-bogey-bogey and Sorenstam taking triple bogey on her final hole.
The cut came at 3-over-par 143, with 76 players advancing to today's final round.
