Dottie Ardina recovered from her opening-day shock, firing a 68 on Friday to share 37th place halfway through the Maybank LPGA Malaysia at the West Course of the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club.
Ardina who shot a 73 in the first round, dotted her round with birdies on Hole Nos. 3, 4, 13, 17 and 18 to compensate for her bogey on 7th.
She has a three-under 141 total.
The lone Filipina in the $3-million tournament hit 14 greens in regulation and found the fairways 19 of 14 times. She also made 28 putts to keep herself afloat.
Japanese-Filipina Yuka Saso is joint 30th with a four-under 140.
Thailand’s Jasmine Suwannapura kept the top spot after a 69 on Friday for a one-shot lead.
At 12-under 132, Suwannapura paces American Rose Zhang who fired a 68 for solo second at 133.
At joint third are France’s Celine Boutier and Taiwanese Peiyun Chien who are two shots off the leader following rounds of 64 and 69, respectively.
The Tour’s top guns also remained in the hunt with Koreans A Lim Kim and Sei Young Kim, Canada’s Brooke Henderson, Chinese Ruoning Yin, all major champions, matching 136s for a share of sixth with Gina Kim of the US, Swede Linn Grant, Thai Chanettee Wannasaen and Scot Gemma Dryburgh.
A Lim Kim fired a 66, Sei Young Kim and Henderson carded identical 67s, Yin put in a second straight 68, Gina Kim made a 70, Grant shot a 71, Wannasaen fought back with a 66 and Dryburge came up with a 69.
Danielle Kang and Megan Khang, also major winners, led the 137 scorers after 68 and 70, respectively, as they tied Mexico’s Gaby Lopez, Thai Atthaya Thitikul and Denmark’s Emily Pedersen, who matched 71s, and Grace Kim of Australia, who carded an even-par 72, at 14th place.
