Leona Maguire fired a much improved three-under 69 as she moved into the top-25 at the halfway stage of the Aramco Saudi Ladies International at Royal Greens Golf and Country Club.
Maguire posted four birdies with just one dropped shot coming midway through her round at the par-4 17th as she played the course from back to front.
The Cavan native started well with birdies on the tenth and thirteenth holes before following up with two further gains on the first and third holes.
The LPGA Tour winner was unable to make further inroads on the leaderboard, closing with six successive pars including two par fives and she lies in a share of 22nd place on four-under, nine shy of leader Aditi Ashok.
Meanwhile Stephanie Meadow missed the cut on ten-over after back-to-back rounds of 77.
India’s Ashok leads world number one Lydia Ko by two shots on thirteen-under after a superb front nine of 29 gave her a second round of 66.
The Kenyan Open winner of a fortnight ago carded birdies on 10, 11, 13, 14 and 16 before eagling the par-5 18th for a sensational sub-30 outward half.
It dried up slightly for Ashok on her way home with two bogeys and a closing birdie.
New Zealand’s Ko who shared the first round lead carded a three-under 69 to share second with Lilia Vu of the USA.
- Scoring HERE
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