Leona Maguire’s hopes of ending the LPGA season in style at the CME Group Tour Championship appear dead in the water after a second-round four-over 76 saw her fall from contention at Tiburon GC in Florida.
The top 60 players in the season’s rankings list chase qualified for the $11-million showpiece event, which offers an eye-watering $4-million top prize.
Having carded a three-under 69 on day one to position herself just outside the top 10, the early signs were good for Maguire as she rolled in a birdie putt on the par-5 opening hole in round two, but that was as good as it got and she followed up with a bogey and a double bogey on the par-4 second and third holes.
She repaired some of the damage with back-to-back birdies on five and six, but closed out the opening nine with another dropped shot on the last and found herself at -2 at the turn.
Further bogeys at 11, 12, 15 and 18 were recorded in a back nine that featured just a solitary birdie on 17 and she ended the day at +1 overall, falling into a five-way tie for 52nd in the 60-player field, and now sits 11 shots off the tournament lead.
That’s held by Angel Yin who avoided a penalty to fire a three-under 69 and take a two-stroke lead over South Korea’s Choi Hye-jin, who fired a bogey-free 68 to share second on -8 alongside compatriot An Narin who had held the first round lead. the first-day leader after an opening 64. while top-ranked Nelly Korda jumped into contention after Friday’s second round of the LPGA Tour Championship.
Yin, a 26-year-old American and one-time LPGA Tour winner, made six birdies, three bogeys and holed clutch par putts on the last two holes in windy conditions to move to -10, and her score was ratified after officials elected not to penalise her for a potential improper drop on the fourth hole where her second shot had found the water.
“They wanted to ask me about the process of the drop and if I used all my resources to come to a determination of where I crossed [the water hazard] and took my drop,” Yin said.
“It looked like I took an improper drop where I went up closer than I should have. They thought I didn’t take the drop properly.
“I explained to them I believe I did take the drop properly. I asked everybody and everybody was in agreement of it. I told them how I hit the shot, where it flew, and that’s where I came to the determination of where I dropped.”
No penalty was issued.
“We just had to clarify it,” Yin said. “Everybody is trying to do their best. I don’t think it’s anything with anyone. Everyone is trying to hold up integrity.”
Meanwhile, world number one Nelly Korda is lurking ominously at -6 after shooting a bogey-free 66 that included an eagle and four birdies.
It was on the par-4 third where she recorded the eagle, holing out her second shot despite missing the fairway off the tee, and that kickstarted her surge up the leaderboard.
“I was in the rough. I didn’t hit my shot too good off the tee. Had to hit a little controlled 8-iron in and landed soft, perfect, and I just saw it go in as a putt,” Korda said of her eagle. “Good way to start my round for sure.”
Having already secured the LPGA Player of the Year award, Korda is seeking her eighth title of the season and would smash the record for most money won in an LPGA season were she to top the pile on Sunday.
She shares fourth on six-under alongside Japan’s Ayaka Furue, China’s Yin Ruoning, Thailand’s Jeeno Thitikul and South Korean Amy Yang who is the defending champion having shot an incredible -27 over 72 holes for a three-shot win in 2023.
“Definitely a couple more putts dropped today. Actually found the centre of the club face, which is nice,” Korda added. “Felt a little better out there today and hopefully I can keep progressing.”
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