Kerr leads ShopRite Classic

GALLOWAY TOWNSHIP, New Jersey (AP) ― Cristie Kerr was in the zone on the range before the second round of the ShopRite LPGA Classic and even a double bogey on the 12th hole didn’t cause her to lose focus.

“Yeah, I think it’s maturity,” the 33-year-old Kerr said Saturday after shooting a 6-under 65 to take a one-stroke lead over Catriona Matthew heading into the final round.

“But I recognize that you can make some birdies on the stretch coming in. It just didn’t feel like a bad double. It sounds odd, but just didn’t feel like I made double. So when you make a stupid mistake or something happens and you make double, you get more mad at yourself.”

Kerr didn’t get angry. She just made up for the mistake with three birdies on the final five holes to move within a good round of her first victory of the year and her 15th on the LPGA Tour.

The last birdie came from roughly 8 feet the par-5 18th and gave Kerr an 8-under 134 score on the Bay Course at Seview, where the 20 mph wind of Friday’s opening round was replaced by a mild breeze.

The result was 54 sub-par rounds compared to 13 the day before. If the conditions don’t change, a low score will probably be needed Sunday to collect the top prize of $225,000.

Kerr intends to be ready, especially with 12 players within five shots of her lead, including fellow American Brittany Lincicome just two shots back and third-ranked Shin Ji-yai three behind.

“I think it starts with the mindset, ‘Are you ready to go low?’” said the fourth-ranked Kerr. “‘Are you ready to, no matter what comes at you? Are you able to handle it?’

“I felt like I was like that today. I pray every day I’m in that mindset. Because that’s a good place for me, very intense, knowing what I’ve got to do, taking care of my job.”

Kerr, who won this event in 2004, took care of business Saturday, rolling in eight birdies along with her double bogey.

Her one mistake was missing the small green at No. 12, a 320-yard par 4. Her flop shot on her third shot ran off the green and her chip ran about 8 feet past the hole. When she missed the putt she fell two shots behind Matthew, but rallied with a 30-foot birdie at No. 14, a birdie on the par-3 16th and then the final hole.

“It was weird making double, but I didn’t feel like that bothered me because I had been playing great today, and I didn’t feel like I did too much wrong on the hole,” Kerr said. “So I just stayed composed and keep going.”

Matthew is looking to become the first player in her 40s to win on the LPGA Tour since Helen Alfredsson won in China in 2008 at 43.