AP - A dismal second-round 78 has sent Australian teenager Minjee Lee on a rapid slide down the leaderboard at the LPGA tournament in South Korea.
Starting Friday two shots from the lead, Lee carded six-over-par - a far cry from her opening-round 69 - to sit at three-over for the tournament and tied for 43rd.
Fortunately for Lee, there are no cuts to this 72-hole tournament at the Sky72 Golf and Resort club in Incheon, the only LPGA stop in South Korea.
France's Karine Icher signed for a four-under 68 to surge to the top of the leaderboard, making five birdies against one bogey to move to five-under for the $US2 million ($A2.16 million) tournament.
Beatriz Recari of Spain and American Brittany Lincicome both ended one stroke behind Icher, after shooting their second straight rounds of 70.
They are ahead of six players at three-under, including the 2012 champ Suzann Pettersen.
Lee, 18, birdied her final two holes after recording four bogeys and two double-bogeys between the sixth and 16th holes.
Icher started the day at one-under in a tie for 15th and promptly moved to two-under with a birdie on the opening hole. She also finished strongly, with three birdies over her final four holes.
Icher said she faced "a completely different course" on Friday with the wind constantly changing direction, and credited her work with coach Brian Mogg for helping her with the gusty conditions.
"This week, my coach was here and we practised a lot of low shots," she said. "It seemed to pay off. Here, it's always windy. I've never played in Korea without wind. Low shots are pretty strong in my game now.
"There are four or five tournaments left for us, and I'd love to win one. There's nothing else I am looking for," Icher added.
Park In-Bee, the world No.2 who can rise to the top spot with a win in Incheon, managed only a 73 on Friday which dropped her to even for the tournament and a tie for 24th.
New Zealander Lydia Ko, the third-ranked golfer who can also claim the top spot with a win, shot a three-under 69 to move to two-under.
Kang Hae-Ji of South Korea, who led after the first round with a 67, managed only a 75 to fall to two-under.
Defending champion Amy Yang had a disastrous round of 79, with eight bogeys against a single birdie.
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