A second day in a row in the 1960s brought Agathe Laisne (Paris, France) to first place in the LPGA Qualifying Tournament Stage I ranking with a total of 11 under par. The University of Texas’ outstanding player cashed in the Shadow on Friday Marriott’s Ridge Golf Club a 5 under par 67 to take advantage of the 36 hole advantage.
One of two players who also shot at Marriot’s Shadow Ridge Golf Club 6-under 66 this afternoon was Auston Kim (St. Augustine, Florida). It sits just one bar back at -10 overall.
“I feel really good and have fun. The courses have been great so far and my focus is on golf, fairways and greens, ”said Kim, who used an eagle at # 16 to record one of the day’s rounds. “I hit a really solid drive and I had 176 [yards] left to the pen. I got a good jump off the left hill and my ball trickled down within three feet. Not an easy shot because of the water on the right [and I hit a stock fade], but I committed myself to my line and the result was better than I could have wished for.
“I have to play [the Dinah Shore Tournament Course] with Hollis Stacy at Junior ANA. She told me to keep putts under the hole. I’ll take the same approach to Dinah Shore [tomorrow] from the last two rounds, fairways and greens. “
The 18-hole leader Huize Lian (China) carded a 2-under 70 in the second round on the Dinah Shore Tournament Course to stay within striking distance, two shots outside of the medalists’ honor. Teresa Toscano (67) from South Dakota State University and Emily Mahar (69) from Virginia Tech are fourth overall with -8 after the second day.
“It was a good front nine. I was solid off the tee with my driver which is key on the Pete Dye course due to the amount of water on the holes. I am very happy with my game after the first two rounds. We have two days left so I plan to have fun and be patient, ”said Toscano. “Having my coach from Spain by my side was very helpful and I played in the Island Resort Championship [on the Symetra Tour] Earlier this summer it helped me understand how the world of professional golf works, how very patient the players are on the course. It opened my eyes and helped me prepare for phase I. “
Brooke Matthews, an All-SEC First Team member of the Arkansas Razorbacks, found a groove herself with a 67 on the Dinah Shore course on day two, making them a group of five with a score of nine at 6 under.
“I got off to a hot start with birdie-birdie right in front of the gate. I still had a few more glances, but couldn’t let them fall. After giving one away to hit the green, I was able to get it back at the next hole, ”said Matthews. “When I came in, I finished birdie-birdie-birdie-birdie-par, a bit of a hot start and a hot finish today. I will try to continue to find a mix of aggressive but also smart. “
A total of 85 players finished the second round with an even par overall or better, while 158 participants were 3 over par overall or better. Round three action begins tomorrow at 7:15 a.m. PDT with the individuals venturing on their final course according to the rotation of Dinah Shore-Pete Dye-Shadow Ridge.
REMARKABLE QUOTES
Nishtha Madan (-5, T14) on her mentality on the way to the third round:
“Feels great, I played very stable from the start and hit almost every fairway and green today, which made it easier. Hit a solid hard drive at # 16 and had 224 [yards] to the flag, hybrid directly to the right of the green in the short-side rough and chip-in for Eagle. I approach it like it’s the first round tomorrow and play with the mindset that every shot is my first shot of the week or of the day, so just stay in that frame of mind. “
Gina Kim (-4, T20) on her confidence in the third round:
“It was very windy when I played so I missed a lot of greens, but managed to get a bogey free 69 with three birdies on the par 5s. I played (Pete Dye) during the NWGA Q-School prep event and shot -7 there one day so I’m pretty confident of going tomorrow. “
Karen Kim (-4, T20) in a bogey-free second round:
“Playing a bogey-free round always feels good, it was just surprised every moment. In all honesty, I took a break from golf and went to Galveston Island in Texas and had a great time with friends and family. “
Amanda Hollandsworth (E, T61) on swing at Shadow Ridge Golf Club:
“I started pretty hot today, shooting 30 up front with four birdies and an eagle. I slipped a few on my back, but overall it was a pretty good day. I didn’t play as well yesterday as I would have liked, so it was nice to do a lap in the 60s to get back on track. Tomorrow I’ll just keep playing my game and not get too far. One shot at a time may sound clichéd, but it really matters. I’m just trying to keep my head clear. “