The second round of The ANNIKA was one to forget for Cavan’s Leona Maguire as the 30-year-old undone her hard work from Friday’s first round to post a two-over-par 72 and drop to T32.
Maguire began her day on the back nine as she parred her way to the halfway point of the round, hoping something will drop for her in her final nine holes.
That wasn’t the case for Maguire as the flat stick was cold. Frustrated, Maguire made bogey at the par-4 fifth and made another at the par-5 seventh to post a two-over round, taking her to T32 at one-under.
Maguire will be happy that she made the cut as playing into the weekend should solidify her place inside the Race to CME Globe top 60, meaning she will tee off at the Tour Championship.
At the top of the leaderboard, Sweden’s Linn Grant posted an impressive seven-under 63 to join Australia’s Grace Kim in T1 at nine-under.
Grant made an early bogey as she began her day at the 10th hole, but followed it up with eight birdies.
“Very, very solid. I hit some really good shots,” said Grant. “Tee to green today was very good. I felt like I played similar yesterday but I just couldn’t get the putts to go in, and today a lot of them went in.”
Kim posted a four-under 66, aided by a mid round flurry where the 24-year-old made four birdies in five holes.
“I just kind of kept my mojo going,” Kim said. “Just hit lots of fairways and tried to make a lot of putts. It helped probably I hit a few more close today, making more easier birdies. I guess, just stayed in my lane really.”
Jennifer Kupcho and 18-hole leader Haeran Ryu share T3 on eight-under, followed by Mexico’s Gaby Lopez who occupies solo fifth on seven-under.
2024 ANNIKA winner Nelly Korda sits in T6. Korda’s win here last season saw her become the first player in 13 years to win seven times in a season but the 27-year-old is yet to win this season.
“I just capitalized on my good shots.” Korda said. “I just kind of told myself that, it’s a fresh day and you never know what’s going to happen. I came out and I started capitalizing a little bit more on the better shots.”
Donald Trump’s niece, Kai Trump crashed out of the tournament at the bottom of the leaderboard on 18-over after a +13 first round saw the 18-year-old amateur with a mountain to climb to come back, but the High Schooler managed a more respectable five-over on Friday.
“For the first day I was definitely really nervous,” she said. “I think the nerves just got to me. When I went out there today I felt very calm and peaceful to be honest with you. That’s why I played better.”
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