A second straight 65 saw Sei Young Kim take the lead at El Caballero as Leona Maguire and Lauren Walsh failed to get inside the two-under-par cutline, cutting their JM Eagle LA Championship short.
Both Irish started the day four stokes outside the projected cutline of two-under, and neither could make a move as the tight tree-lined fairways proved to be difficult to tackle for the chasing pack.
Starting her day on the back-nine, Maguire made birdie at the par-5 11th, before adding another one at the par-3 17th after a textbook tee ball. One more before the turn would have been an ideal way for Maguire to gain momentum but that wasn’t to be as things suddenly became a more difficult after a bogey at the 18th.
Maguire battled well in her closing nine holes, making three more birdies but ultimately it was a double bogey at the par-3 6th that cost the 31-year-old the weekend, as the two-time LPGA winner posted a two-under-par 70 second round, missing the cut on even-par.
Lauren Walsh matched Maguire first round score of 74, and the Kildare native couldn’t do better in the second round as a the 25-year-old posted a second round three-over-par 75 to miss the cut at five-over.
With the first major of the year, The Chevron Championship taking place next week, both Maguire and Walsh will be disappointed not to make the weekend.
South Korea’s Sei Young Kim holds the 36-hole-lead at 14-under after a second round score of 65. The 33-year-old went bogey-free around El Caballero.
“I just want to keep moving forward the next two days,” said Kim. “I try to move forward whatever my position.”
18-hole leader Chizzy Iwai of Japan hold second at 13-under, one stroke ahead of Ina Yoon of South Korea .
Iwai followed her opening 63 with a 68, making three birdies in a four-hole stretch on the back nine late in the afternoon.
She’s also looking to attack the course.
“I like aggressive golf,” Iwai said. “I think tomorrow I need to be aggressive.”
Yoon, who started her day on the back nine, went seven-under through her first nine holes, shooting a bogey free 64.
“I never shot 29 for nine holes in my life. It was unbelievable,” Yoon said. “The back nine was little bummer.”
Lauren Coughlin, the winner two weeks ago at Shadow Creek, followed her opening 66 with a 76 to fall to 2 under. She had six bogeys Friday.
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