•    HOME   
•    NEWS   
•    BUSINESS   
•    INTERNATIONAL   
•    TECH   
•    SPORTS   
•    LIFE & TIMES   
•    OPINION   
•    MY JAKARTA   
•    BLOGS   

Gold Coast, Australia. A week after Lim Ji-na won her second South Korean ladies tour event in September, she received a special letter in the mail that forced her to race to her Korean-English dictionary.

It was from Jack Nicklaus, congratulating her on her win. Lim pored through her dictionary and translated the letter word by word.

“I was very surprised,” Lim said through an interpreter on Friday after her six-under-par 66 put her into contention after two rounds of the ANZ Australian Ladies Masters. “He said he hopes to see me in the US very soon.”

Lim met Nicklaus two years ago while he was on a business trip to South Korea, and has an endorsement contract with Jack Nicklaus clothing.

She not only wears the Golden Bear logo, but has gone one better, asking the manufacturer to emblazon “I love Jack” — using the heart symbol instead of the word — on her clothing.

“I envied him before, but I love him now,” the 22-year-old Lim giggled. “And they pay me a lot of money.”

Lim birdied three of the four par-5 holes and two par-3s in a bogey-free round at Royal Pines on Friday.

It put her into the lead by two strokes at nine-under 135, with first-round leader Amanda Blumenherst, who shot three-under 69 on the day to share the lead.

Australia trio Katherine Hull (70), six-time former champion Karrie Webb (69) and Tamie Durdin (68) were tied for third, two strokes back, along with South Koreans Ryu So-yeon (67) and Seo Hee-kyung (68). Blumenherst, Hull, Webb and Durdin played most of their afternoon rounds in steady rain at Royal Pines.

Lim, who won her first Korean tour event in 2007, was in a group that included Louise Stahle of Sweden, who also shot 66.

The course conditions were better on Friday, and the lift, clean and place rule was no longer in effect as the course began to dry out from heavy rain earlier in the week. “My short game was very good and putting as well,” Lim said.

Lim will attempt to qualify for the LPGA Tour next year after playing another full season on the Korean tour, where she finished eighth on the money list in 2009.

She’ll also play next week at the Australian Women’s Open in Melbourne.

Golf

Associated Press