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 staff occasion.
The Solheim Cup rivals had a 13-under 127 complete at Midland Nation Membership after opening with an alternate-shot 67 on Thursday.
“The plan in the present day was simply to offer ourselves as many probabilities as we may, attempt to get two probabilities on each gap,” stated Maguire, from Eire. “For essentially the most half, we did that. It was good to begin off with a birdie and form 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 lot of golf to go,” stated Kupcho, the 2022 winner with fellow American Lizette Salas. “I feel simply form of staying the place we’re at and persevering with what we’re doing the very best we are able to.”
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 beneath.
“It was an important spherical,” Valenzuela stated, “I really feel like I undoubtedly feed off Sarah’s power. 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 beneath.
“Fairways and greens, gap just a few extra putts,” Thompson stated. “That is the objective.”
Defending champions Ruoning Yin and Jeeno Thitikul, each among the many prime 5 within the ladies’s world rating, have been 6 beneath after a 66.
