After a sizzling six-under-par first round at the LPGA’s Standard Portland Classic at Columbia Edgewater Country Club, Kildare’s Lauren Walsh will be somewhat disappointed not to keep the momentum into Saturday’s third round as she stumbled to a one-over-par second round on Friday.
Making just one bogey on Thursday, Walsh tripled that tally on Friday. Starting her day on the back nine, the square numbers came at the 11th, first, and second as the 25-year-old left herself with some work to do.
Closing out her round on the front, Walsh made birdie at the sixth and seventh before parring her way to the clubhouse to get home with a 73. Walsh now sits T36 at five-under, seven strokes back from the lead.
Northern Ireland’s Stephanie Meadow had a very eventful 18-holes as the 34-year-old made an eagle, five birdies and four bogeys to post a three-under-par round, squeezing into the weekend at four-under.
Meadow has only made one cut this year on the LPGA TOUR which came back in May but she now sits in a good place to earn some points and confidence this weekend. Meadow heads into the third round in T48.
Leona Maguire bettered her first round tally of 72 but it still wasn’t enough for the Cavan woman to make it into the weekend as she missed the three-under-par cutline.
Maguire needed to post 69 or below to make the cut and after her first nine holes, that looked very likely. The 31-year-old made a bogey and three birdies on the front to take the turn at two-under, putting her in a strong position to make a late push.
Maguire’s efforts came tumbling down mid way through the back nine as she made back-to-back bogeys at the 13th and 14th to make that uphill climb even steeper. A birdie at the last to post a one-under 71 was nothing more than a consolation.
Thailand’s Arpichaya Yubol matched her first round 66 with another on Friday to lead by one stroke at 12-under. The 24-year-old went 35 holes before making a bogey which came at the last in the second round.
“It’s pretty good day for my putter.” Yubol said. “For me, 36 holes with just one bogey is amazing.”
Yubol is closely followed by fellow country-woman Pajaree Anannarukarn, as well as USA’s Sophia Schubert and Korea’s Hye-Jin Choi as the trio all sit at 11-under.
Anannarukarn was electric with the putter, only needing 22-putts throughout her 18 as she also posted a 66 that saw one-bogey.
“Honestly, I just try to dial the speed in, and I think I did really well today with the speed control. I got some good putts out there, so definitely helping a lot,” said the 27-year-old.
30-year-old Schubert is benefitting from an extended break as she joined the pair of Thai’s in posting a 66 which included a three-in-a-row birdie stretch heading down the back nine.
“I mean, it’s just been a solid week for me so far. I had five or six weeks off at home leading up to this, and I worked really hard. Worked on my putting because that’s what I need to work on,” said the American.
Hye-Jin Choi posted an eagle-fueled 67 to get within striking distance of the lead as she looks to make the most of moving day on Saturday. Choi made three birdies and an eagle, carding a bogey-free second round.
“My goal was to do bogey-free today and I think I made it. I felt like I felt more comfortable on the course than yesterday, so I feel more satisfied. I think that makes the course really scorable,” said the Korean.
Rookie Erika Hara sits tied with some big names like Jeeno Thitikul and Haeran Ryu in T5 at nine-under.
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