Samsung World Championship at Torrey Pines

Catriona Matthew just outside

top 10 after 68 at Torrey Pines

British Women's Open champion Catriona Matthew moved up to joint 11th position in the restricted field after 36 holes with a four-under-par second round of 68 in the Samsung World Championship over the Torrey Pines course at San Diego, California yesterday. Catriona improved by six shots on her opening effort and is on the two-under-par 142 mark.Jiyai Shin of South Korea shot a 3-under 69 to take a one-shot lead.

Shin, who was tied for the lead after the opening round, has a 36-hole total of 135 atop the elite field of 20. She was 10 under for the tournament after sinking a 20ft birdie putt on the par-5 13th, but followed with a bogey and finished with four straight pars.
She has her Saturday planned out: She'll try to protect her lead at Torrey Pines, then go hang gliding over the nearby shores of the Pacific Ocean.
She admits to being scared of heights, but was intrigued by the hang gliders that float silently over the holes that line the sea cliffs.
"Yes, I want to try," Shin said. "For a couple of holes I saw the hang gliders today and thought this is scary. I told my caddie, 'I want to cancel because it looks so scary.' He says, 'It's fine, try it, try it, try it.' I will try it tomorrow. Maybe it will make a good feeling for me. Fly the sky."
Shin is coming off her U.S. LPGA Tour-leading third victory of the year, at the NW Arkansas Championship.
She was a bit more erratic than during her opening-round 66.
After her bogey on 14, "my shot was up and down," she said. "So it was really tough the last few holes. But I think No. 17, 18, it was a great save, save the par, so I feel good, a little bit tired. Today was a little bit of a long day."
Ochoa, of Mexico, had a seesaw round of 69 that started with a bogey on No. 1 -- her first of four -- and ended with a 20-foot chip for eagle on 18. Her chip was from behind the hole, heading down toward the water.
Ochoa said she joked with her caddie that she was going to eagle 18 "just to make more of an up-and-down round, and we did, so it was kind of a funny way to finish. It really changed my position. I was really happy to make that eagle.
"It's a lot easier being as close to the leader than being a few back," she said. "I like where I am and I can't wait to be here tomorrow."
Her 7-wood approach shot bounced on the green and shot through it, settling on the second cut of rough. At first, she thought it was going to be impossible. "But when I got there, and I saw room, it wasn't in too deep, and the ball was just a couple of feet" from the green, she said. "And I thought, 'OK, we have a good chance,' and I did it."
Miyazato, of Japan, made a late charge and might have tied Shin, but her second shot on the par-5 18th splashed into the big pond that protects the green, leading to her only bogey of the day. As she stood over her third shot, the fountain in the pond -- known as Devlin's Billabong -- suddenly turned on. It was quickly turned off. She finished with a 68.
"I was like kind of laughing," she said. "I was a little bit ashamed. But it's not Sunday," she said. "I still have two days, so I think I will be all right."
Miyazato had birdied 15 and 16 before her misadventure on 18.
Torrey Pines, the site of Tiger Woods' epic win in the 2008 U.S. Open, was shrouded in light fog but the golfers once again benefited from calm conditions.
Sweden's Sophie Gustafson shot a 70 and was fourth at 137.
There was a four-way tie for fifth at 138 among defending champion Paula Creamer (69), Cristie Kerr (66), Song-Hee Kim (72) and Na Yeon Choi (67). Kim had been tied with Shin after the opening round.
LEADING SECOND-ROUND TOTALS

Par 144 (2x72)
135 Jiyai Shin 66 69.
136 Ai Miyazato 68 68, Lorena Ochoa 67 69.
137 Sophie Gustafson 67 70.
138 Cristie Kerr 72 66, Na Yeon Choi 71 67, Paula Creamer 69 69, Song-Hee Kim 66 72.
Selected scores:
142 Catriona Matthew 74 68 (jt 11th).
143 Suzann Pettersen 71 72 (13th).
145 Anna Nordqvist 71 74 (jt 14th).