South Africa’s Ashleigh Buhai produced a solid second round to share the lead with Sweden’s Ingrid Lindblad at the LPGA Tour’s LA Championship.
After reaching the turn at six under, Lindblad suffered her only setback of the round when she made bogey on the par-four 10th but she responded in emphatic fashion with four straight birdies for a nine-under-par round of 63.
It was a career low round to-par for the 25-year-old but she felt it could have been even better, noting she only made par on the two shortest par-five holes on the El Caballero course.
“I just read the greens really well so it was like every putt I stood over I’m like, OK, this has a chance to go in,” she said. “So read the greens really well. Made a couple of these like good 10-footers, 17-footers, so it wasn’t just tap-ins, tap-ins for par.
“I birdied the other two par-fives, but the two shorter ones I only made par, so I feel like it could have been lower,” she added.
Buhai, who had shared the first round lead with China’s Liu Yan, was solid with a four-under 68 after her outstanding 63 on Thursday.
“It’s always difficult to follow a low one, but I’m pretty happy how I played today. Pins were a little trickier, but still some that were gettable,” said the South African.
“Missed a few more greens, but proud of how I hung in there, made good up and downs to keep me in it today,” added the 2022 Women’s Open winner.
Australian Minjee Lee is solo third, a stroke behind the leading pair after she shot a bogey-free seven-under 65.
Liu shot 70 to fall down the leaderboard to tied for fourth along with Japan’s Miyu Yamashita and American Lauren Coughlin.
World No 1 Nelly Korda is four strokes back as she looks to hit form ahead of her title defence at the season’s first major – the Chevron Championship in Houston.
Korda could have been even closer to contention had it not been for a double-bogey on the 4th followed by a bogey.
“I think it’s good prep obviously playing a week before a Major because you kind of see where your game is at, what you need to work on, what you need to focus on,” she said.
“Whenever you put a couple of solid rounds together, a lot of it is about confidence, as well as building confidence, which is always really nice going into big events.”
The tournament is taking place at El Caballero Country Club while renovation work is carried out at the established venue at Wilshire.
© Agence France-Presse
Photo: Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images
