Lydia Ko shot six bogeys and four birdies to be tied for 64th and ten shots behind the clubhouse leader. Photo: Icon Sportswire
Lydia Ko narrowly avoided the cut at the Women's PGA Championship in New Jersey on Friday but is well down the leaderboard after day two.
Ko carded a three-over par 74 in the opening round and started the day in a tie for 61st place, eight shots off the lead.
She fared only slightly better with two-over 73 to be five-over-par and make the cut by a single shot.
Ko shot six bogeys and four birdies to be tied for 64th and ten shots behind clubhouse leader Leona Maguire.
Maguire birdied four of her final six holes for a 3-under 68 and a one-shot lead over three players Friday at the halfway point of the second of five majors in women's golf this year.
"This is uncharted territory for me," Maguire said. "Whatever happens this week, I'm sure I'll learn a lot, and just sort of taking it one day at a time. I think this golf course demands that. I think you can't think more than one shot ahead, let alone a hole or a round ahead."
Leona Maguire, pictured playing for Team Europe in 2021, shot a 5-under 137 to sit in first place. Photo: AFP
Maguire had five birdies and two bogeys in shooting her seventh straight round in the 60s, dating to the final round at the Mizuho Americas Open.
The 28-year-old former Duke star, ranked 12th in the world, had a 5-under 137 total at Baltusrol.
"But, yeah, feel like my game has been in really good shape for a couple weeks now. Obviously, it was last week, and nice to continue that to this week," said Maguire, who joked that playing in the rain was like being back home.
Still in contention are first-time winner Ruoning Yin of China at 2 under, two-time major winner Brooke Henderson of Canada, top-ranked Jin Young Ko of South Korea and Celine Boutier of France, along with Americans Gina Kim, Allisen Corpuz Mina Harigae, all at 1 under.
Among those who missed the cut were No. 2 Nelly Korda, No. 4 Lilia Vu, No. 6 Atthaya Thitikul of Thailand and No. 9 Georgia Hall of England. Lexi Thompson, ranked No. 9, needed four straight birdies late in her round to get to 4 over.
-Reuters/RNZ