Two rounds of the LPGA Q-Series 2021 and the leaderboard continues to represent players from all over the world. The top 10 includes eight countries, led by the Swede Linnea Johansson and the Korean Na Rin An with -9.
Johansson and An both carded consecutive laps of 67 to begin their two-week Q-Series marathon. Johansson had six birdies on Friday, including four on a five-hole course on the back nine, but finished 18th on the Crossings Course with a bogey.
“I did three birdies in a row there, 15, 16, 17, really good shots. After that I was a little tired, I wanted to finish and all that, ”said Johansson, an Oklahoma State University alumna. “I think that was a little highlight, that despite four holes I still got going and really fought until the end.”
An was only playing on US soil for the second time and had seven birdies and two bogeys on Friday. “My confidence is pretty high, but I still want to really concentrate on my game and play well in the next few rounds,” she said.
Like Johansson, Emily K. Pedersen, co-leader of the first round, finished 18th on the Crossings Course Hye-Jin Choi with -10. “There are still six rounds left and I still have to play well, but it’s always good to play well,” said Pedersen, a player looking to regain LPGA Tour status for the first time since 2019.
Choi was without a bogey on Friday and happy to pull off another solid round despite a sprained ankle that compromised her game. “My putting was really good this week, so I’m getting better and better and then I had a fantastic day,” said Choi, who finished second at the 2017 US Women’s Open as a 17-year-old amateur.
Four players are tied with -7 in fifth place, including number 14 in the Rolex women’s world rankings, Ayaka Furue. The Japanese star was happy with her bogey-free 4 under 67 on the par 71 Falls Course, but is still holding her enthusiasm in check six more laps before. “My confidence is pretty high, but I still want to really focus on my game and play well for the next few rounds,” she said.
The American Janie Jackson, the Canadian Selina Costabile and the French Pauline Roussin-Bouchard join Furue at -7.
The LPGA Q-Series consists of two 72-hole stroke play events that are held in consecutive weeks, with the scores accumulating over the two weeks. After the first week there will be a cut to the low 70 players and ties, with the second week being played at Highland Oaks Golf Club in Dothan, Ala. The 2020 competition was not held due to the COVID-19 pandemic with Jeongeun Lee6 (2018) and Muni He (2019) the medal winners in the first two games.