LAS VEGAS, Nevada (AFP) — South Korea’s Kim Sei-young, Spain’s Carlota Ciganda and Americans Angel Yin and Rose Zhang shared the lead after Thursday’s second day of stroke play at the LPGA Match Play tournament.
A revamped format for this year’s event at Shadow Creek in Las Vegas features three rounds of stroke play with the top eight advancing to weekend match play.
Ciganda fired a bogey-free five-under par 67 to seize a share of the lead with Yin, who shot 68; Zhang, who fired a 73, and day one leader Kim, who fired a 74.
The Philippines’ Bianca Pagdanganan struggled with four straight bogeys from the eighth and a double on the 15th to score a four-over-par 76 for joint 44th.
Pagdanganan, who had a 74 on the first day, birdied fourth and 14th but that’s the only bright thing on her round.
Ireland’s Leona Maguire and Japan’s Minami Katsu each fired 69 to share fifth on 141 while Japan’s Yuka Saso and England’s Jodi Ewart Shadoff were on 143.
Together, they were the eight players set to compete in the match play quarter-finals on Saturday, although a host of rivals hoped to overtake them Friday for a place in the weekend.
Leading those trying to break into the top eight in Friday’s last stroke-play round were Canada’s Brooke Henderson, Sweden’s Maja Stark, South Korea’s An Na-rin and Stephanie Meadow of Northern Ireland on 144.
World No. 1 Nelly Korda, seeking a fourth consecutive victory, and France’s third-ranked Celine Boutier, were in a pack on 146 in a share of 20th.
