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February 14, 2014

Leader at the halfway mark for the second straight year

Northern Trust Open at the Riviera CC

Bae Sang-moon, of South Korea, waves after saving par on the 12th green during the second round of the Northern Trust Open golf tournament at Riviera Country Club in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles Friday, Feb. 14, 2014. (AP Photo/Reed Saxon)

By Lee Kyutae

Bae Sang-moon is poised to become the first Korean PGA Tour golfer to win in front of Korean American fans in Los Angeles.

Bae played bogey-free on another gorgeous day at the Riviera Country club to take the lead at the halfway mark of the Northern Trust Open for the second straight year. He shot 5-under 66 on Friday, giving him a one-shot lead over Aaron Baddeley and Robert Garrigus.

Bae is at 9-under 133, but the 27-year-old South Korean has been here before. He was tied for the lead going into the weekend at Riviera last year, but struggled to a 76 in the third round and never recovered.

He wound up winning the Byron Nelson Championship a few months later for his first PGA Tour victory, and says he learned a lot from that experience.

He has to watch out for Baddeley who has won on this course before.

Other Koreans didn’t fare as well. K.J. Choi, with two double-bogeys, fell from 22nd to being tied for 40th at 1-under 141, along with Richard Lee.

John Huh, with two straight even par round, is tied for 55th going into the weekend, and the rest in danger of missing the cut.