Mao Saigo took goal at a second straight main title on Friday, firing a six-under-par 66 to seize a three-shot lead over a gaggle together with top-ranked Nelly Korda after two rounds of the US Girls’s Open in Wisconsin.
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Japan’s Saigo, who received a five-way playoff to carry her first main trophy on the Chevron Championship, shrugged off a spectacular piece of unhealthy luck to construct a 36-hole whole of eight-under 136 at Erin Hills.
Australian main winners Minjee Lee and Hannah Inexperienced, in the meantime, are inside the highest 20 at two-under, after capturing 69 and 70 respectively on the US$12 million (A$18.6m) main. Lee carded 5 birdies and Inexperienced three.
Korda posted a five-under-par 67 to headline a gaggle of six gamers on 139 (five-under). Saigo, 23, final yr’s LPGA Rookie of the 12 months, mentioned her victory on the Chevron in April had given her new confidence however hadn’t modified her elementary method.
“I feel that I used to be in a position to be extra assured about my judgments that I make,” she mentioned. “Nonetheless, I want to play my play somewhat than fascinated about altering myself.”
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She teed off on 10 and gained floor shortly with birdies at 11 and 12, however wanted all of her psychological poise after disappointment on the par-five 14th, the place her third shot hit the flagstick and bounced again right into a bunker.
As a substitute of a birdie she ended up together with her solely bogey of the day.
“I assumed that was not my mistake, I simply thought to myself that it was unfortunate after which I simply modified my thoughts,” added Saigo, who posted 5 extra birdies, together with three in a row on the 18th, first and second holes.
Saigo can anticipate a powerful weekend problem from Korda after the American posted her finest spherical rating ever at a US Open, a event during which her finest end was a tie for eighth in 2022.
“I really feel like I’ve had a really difficult relationship with US Opens,” Korda mentioned. “However I’m completely satisfied to be within the place I’m heading into the weekend.”
After only one birdie and one bogey in her even-par first spherical, Korda lastly noticed some putts drop in a five-under effort that featured seven birdies.
“Truthfully, I used to be hitting actually good putts yesterday,” Korda mentioned. “I used to be hitting it precisely the place I needed to and so they simply weren’t falling.
“Right this moment I did the identical factor, I didn’t actually attempt to do something totally different… so hopefully I can preserve trending in the precise path heading into the weekend.”
Korda was tied with Japan’s Hinako Shibuno, Individuals Yealimi Noh and Sarah Schmelzel, South Korean Kim A-lim and Sweden’s Maja Stark.
Kim and Noh had been amongst six gamers who shared the first-round lead, every carding a one-under 71.
Kim, the 2020 US Open champion, shook off an early bogey to succeed in six-under with birdies on the seventh, eighth and 14th.
She was enjoying the seventeenth when thunderstorms halted play for nearly an hour, returning to finish her par earlier than a disappointing bogey at 18 the place she was within the tough off the tee then discovered a greenside bunker.
Schmelzel had reached six-under with 5 birdies in her first seven holes, however gave a stroke again with a late bogey that left her with a 68. Former British Open champion Shibuno was six-under by means of 17 holes however bogeyed the final for a 69.
Noh capped her one-under spherical with birdies at her final two holes, the eighth and ninth, whereas Stark had six birdies and three bogeys in her 69.
The demanding Erin Hills structure claimed some notable victims. World quantity two Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand and defending champion Yuka Saso of Japan had been properly exterior the projected lower line of even par when darkness halted play with a dozen gamers on the course.