Ji, the overnight leader, carded an eventful second round 69
for a nine-under 135 halfway total at the $2 million event, one
clear of the 18-year-old New Zealander Ko.
Ji, who won the 2009 U.S. Women's Open, opened her second round
with back-to-back birdies only to give both shots back with a
double bogey seven at the sixth after sending her tee shot into
the woods.
She recovered, though, and reeled off three straight birdie
threes from the ninth to sit one clear of Ko, the youngest woman
to win a golf major.
Ko had begun the day three back of Ji but had picked up five
shots in her first 12 holes on Friday to grab a share of the
lead before mixing two bogeys with two more birdies to allow the
South Korean to edge ahead.
England's Charley Hull carded a 69 to sit in tied third on
seven-under with China's Lin Xi Yu (70).
Norway's Suzann Pettersen, who was accused of showing a lack of
sportsmanship at the Solheim Cup last month, shot a best of the
day 66 to sit tied seventh on four-under.
(Writing by Patrick Johnston in Singapore; editing by Sudipto
Ganguly)
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