Spain’s Carlota Ciganda shot a bogey-free, 5-under-par 67 on Thursday to tie for the lead after the second round of the T-Mobile Match Play in Las Vegas.
First-round leader Sei Young Kim of South Korea stumbled to a 2-over 74 on Thursday at Shadow Creek Golf Course but still shares the lead at 4-under 140. Also tied for the lead are Angel Yin (68 on Thursday) and Rose Zhang (73).
Ireland’s Leona Maguire and Japan’s Minami Katsu, who both shot 69 in the second round, are tied for fifth place at 3 under.
England’s Jodi Ewart Shadoff (68) and Japan’s Yuka Saso (74) share seventh place at 1 under.
Wednesday and Thursday consisted of stroke play with a cut to the top 65 players and ties after 36 holes. The field will be cut to the top eight after stroke play on Friday. Saturday morning will begin the single-elimination match-play bracket, with the semifinals taking place Saturday afternoon and the championship match contested on Sunday.
Ciganda, 33, owns two career LPGA wins, but both occurred in 2016. She tied for third at the Ford Championship last week after missing the cut in two of her previous three starts this season.
“I played very solid the last two days,” Ciganda said. “I feel like I’ve been hitting lots of greens and I think that’s key in Shadow Creek. If you can hit fairways and greens and avoid those bogeys, those mistakes, I think it’s big.
“And, yeah, my putting was working so I made some good putts, some good saves, and then, yeah, I played really good and take advantage of the holes that I hit good shots. Yeah, make five birdies, no bogeys, so very happy with a bogey-free round.”
Yin logged five birdies and a lone bogey at the par-4 15th hole.
“I think it’s a very interesting perspective to put into this golf course in stroke play,” Yin said. “I think it challenges people with different games. … Now with stroke play in play, you soften up the greens, soften up the fairways, soften up the front of the green. So it … takes and gives. So I think now you have a broader range of players now on the leaderboard.”
Zhang remains in contention for the top qualifying spot despite posting four bogeys and three birdies.
Kim endured an up-and-down round that began with two bogeys on the back nine before she birdied Nos. 17 and 18. Her front nine featured seven pars and two bogeys.
World No. 1 Nelly Korda is tied for 20th at 2 over par after a 73 on Thursday. Defending champion Pajaree Anannarukarn of Thailand made the cut on the number at 9 over after a second-round 79.
–Field Level Media
