Leona Maguire is just four shots off the lead following an eventful second round at the inaugural Mizuho Americas Open on Friday in New Jersey.
The Cavan golfer posted a two-under 70 at Liberty National Golf Club after a round that featured six birdies and four bogeys - including a run of four birdies in six holes around the turn, between the seventh and the 12th.
She would have been a shot closer to joint leaders Minjee Lee and Cheyenne Knight were it not for a frustrating bogey five at the last, but the in-form Irish golfer is well-placed in a tie for 12th heading into the weekend.
It was a disappointing day for Stephanie Meadow. who couldn't back up her opening round 68, instead carding two double bogeys and four bogeys on her way to a five-over 77.
This leaves Meadow in a tie for 39th on one-over par.
Lee shot an eight-under-par 64 and Knight posted a four-under 68 to move into a tie for the lead
Fifth-ranked Australian Lee and Knight are at seven-under 137, after a eight-under 64 and four-under 68 respectively. They are a stroke ahead of world number three Lydia Ko of New Zealand. Ko finished her second straight 69 to get to six-under.
A fascinating collection of players was another stroke back at five-under, tied for fourth: world number one Jin Young Ko of South Korea (second-round 66), sixth-ranked Atthaya Thitikul of Thailand (71), Brooke M. Henderson of Canada (70), Aditi Ashok of India (72) and Rose Zhang (69).
Zhang was the top-ranked amateur in women's golf until she turned pro last week. This tournament is her pro debut.
Lee birdied eight of her first 12 holes before cooling down and recording pars the rest of the way. She felt she played better on Thursday than her opening-round 73 indicated, and with another round came a better understanding of the contours of the greens at Liberty National, which is hosting an LPGA event for the first time.
"I think Liberty National is kind of a course where if you play it more, the better idea you have," Lee said. "So since it's the inaugural event it's the same for everybody. I think day by day, you learn new things about the course every day."
While Lee is looking for her ninth LPGA Tour win, Knight is in search of her second and her first since October 2019. Knight started on the back nine and made four of her six birdies on the front, including three straight at Nos. 1-3.
"I think just how I rebounded and kind of how I didn't let my emotions get the best of me today is something I'll take going forward," Knight said.
After an early bogey, Lydia Ko birdied Nos. 6, 7, 9 and 10 for a quick surge before parring the rest of her holes. She was in the same group as Lee but tried to focus on her own game while Lee went on her birdie spree.
"I think sometimes you get caught up about what the other person is doing," Ko said. "You just got to do a good job of you and see where that puts you at the end of the day."
Zhang recorded an eagle on the par-5 13th hole to go with three birdies and two bogeys.
First-round leader Lauren Hartlage followed an opening 65 with a 4-over 76 that dropped her into a tie for 12th at 3 under.
New Jersey native Marina Alex rebounded from an opening 80 by matching Lee's 64 for the low round of the day. Alex carded nine birdies and one bogey, including a second-nine 30 with six birdies, as she jumped from 8 over to even par, safely inside the cut line.
"I made some dumb decisions off tees (in the first round) that cost me like a bunch of shots," Alex said. "I learned from that today and then I just kind of got off to a really good, solid start, and luckily the momentum just kept going in my favor."
Sixty-two players made the cut of 2 over or better.
