MIDLAND, Mich. — Jennifer Kupcho and Leona Maguire shot a 10-under 60 in better-ball play Friday to take the second-round lead within the Dow Championship, the LPGA Tour’s solely crew occasion.
The Solheim Cup rivals had a 13-under 127 whole at Midland Nation Membership after opening with an alternate-shot 67 on Thursday.
“The plan at the moment was simply to provide ourselves as many possibilities as we may, attempt to get two possibilities on each gap,” mentioned Maguire, from Eire. “For essentially the most half, we did that. It was good to start out off with a birdie and kind of an eagle very early on to get the ball rolling.”
That they had a one-stroke lead over Cassie Porter and Gemma Dryburgh, the first-round leaders who parred the ultimate six holes in a 62. The groups will play one other alternate-shot spherical Saturday, and shut with a better-ball spherical Sunday.
“A number of golf to go,” mentioned Kupcho, the 2022 winner with fellow American Lizette Salas. “I believe simply sort of staying the place we’re at and persevering with what we’re doing the perfect we will.”
The groups of Sarah Schmelzel-Albane Valenzuela (61), Manon De Roey-Pauline Roussin-Bouchard (61) and and Yan Liu-Yahui Zhang (62) have been 11 below.
“It was an amazing spherical,” Valenzuela mentioned, “I really feel like I undoubtedly feed off Sarah’s vitality. She makes it very easy for me on the course.”
Lexi Thompson and Meghan Kang, tied for second after a gap 67, had a 65 to drop right into a tie for ninth at 8 below.
“Fairways and greens, gap just a few extra putts,” Thompson mentioned. “That is the purpose.”
Defending champions Ruoning Yin and Jeeno Thitikul, each among the many high 5 within the girls’s world rating, have been 6 below after a 66.
