Leona Maguire demonstrated impressive resilience in the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at Sahalee Golf Club, located in the Seattle suburbs, keeping her hopes alive for a momentous major victory. Adding a second round 71 to her initial 70, Maguire currently stands at a halfway score of three-under-par 141, securing a tied-sixth place, three strokes behind the halfway front-runner, Sarah Schmelzel.
In stark contrast, world’s top player, Nelly Korda, suffered a misfortunate turn, failing to make the 36-hole cut after an unfortunate second round score of 81. This abrupt downfall saw her moving from a joined second to prepping for departure. “There are no words to explain my current game performance. I’ll just reset back at home” Korda lamented, tearfully. This marked a third consecutive missed cut for Korda, who had earlier commanded the LPGA Tour in the current season, claiming victory in six out of her initial eight starts, including five consecutively, before encountering this alarming slump.
Showing no signs of a similar fate, Maguire, a successful two-time winner of the LPGA Tour, persevered with her second round of 71, meticulously achieved on the tree-encased course, ensuring she remains a significant contender going into the weekend.
The 29-year-old golfer from Cavan produced a round comprising of five birdies, a couple of bogeys and a double bogey. Despite the double bogey setback on the 17th par-three, Maguire managed to regain momentum by closing with a birdie on the following par five, nearly reaching the green in two, and rebounding to instill momentum going into round three.
Regarding her strategy navigating the increasingly firm course, Maguire revealed her approach: “I believe it’s a mix of risk and reward. One can take a bit more risk with the tee shot to get a closer approach, especially now that it’s getting firmer. Yet, on the flip side, with some of those overhanging, narrow fairways and necks, you must exercise caution.”
“Indeed, getting the equilibrium between knowing when to be aggressive and when to be strategic is crucial. It’s about patience and not being overly cautious, particularly as the greens become dry. Avoiding lengthy clubs is important to achieving this balance.”
Maguire unfortunately didn’t make the mark for the season’s initial two major events, the Chevron and the US Open. She decided to try a new approach, being more lenient with herself, in the recent bid for her first major title, a tactic that has proven beneficial.
Contrarily, Stephanie Meadow was unable to progress to the weekend stage, having scored a 78 following her initial 77, resulting in a total of 155 and missing the cut.
In the Travelers championship on the PGA Tour, Shane Lowry continued his impressive form by scoring an outstanding 62, leading to a halfway total of nine-under-par 131, placing him tied in sixth place. This left him trailing the halfway leader, South Korea’s Tom Kim, by four strokes.