Rolex Rankings No. 7 Karrie Webb shot a 3-under 69 in the second round of the HSBC Women’s Champions to increase her lead to two shots over American Angela Stanford.

Webb sits atop the leaderboard with a two-day total 9-under 135. Taiwan’s Teresa Lu carded a 2-under 70 and is in solo third at 6-under par. A group of five players are in a tie for fourth and five shots back including Americans Paula Creamer, Morgan Pressel, Danielle Kang and Sweden’s Anna Nordqvist and Caroline Hedwall.

Webb had six birdies and three bogeys on the day and stretched her lead to three shots after a birdie on the par 4 6th hole. But Hedwall cut the lead to one shot after back-to-back birdies on Nos. 7 and 8. Webb responded with birdies of her own on Nos. 9 and 12 before some struggles late in the round.

“A few loose swings on the back nine today which didn`t happen yesterday but recovered pretty well from them, only two bogeys and to shoot 3-under, I think I`m pretty happy with that,” said Webb. “Anything on the 60s on this golf course is a good day.”

She would drop shots on Nos. 13 and 15 pushing her to 8-under par and into a tie for the lead with Hedwall.

“13 was a pretty soft bogey there, just missed the green there and really wasn`t a difficult up-and-down and didn`t get it up-and-down there,” said Webb. “Made a good up-and-down on the next for par, and then I hit it in the water off the tee on 15, so actually made a really good bogey in the end.”

But Hedwall had a messy final stretch with a bogey-bogey-double bogey finish to drop her five shots off the lead.

“I was just playing solid golf and made a couple of birdies,” said Hedwall. “I felt really good about my game today it is just sad that I finished that way with two three putts and then this finish on 18.”

Webb finished with a birdie on the par 3 17th hole to extended her lead to two shots.

No. 2 Suzann Pettersen eagled the 18th hole to finish 2-under par for the day and in a tie for ninth. She heads into the weekend six shots off the lead. The Norwegian needs to win this week to have a change to take over the No. 1 spot in the Rolex Rankings. Current No. 1 Inbee Park shot even-par 72 on Friday and is T13.

Katherine Kirk is the only other Australians in the limited field event, the Queenslander is tied for 35th position at two-over-par.