SAN FRANCISCO: High school student and overnight co-leader Megha Ganne (pix) continued her solid play on Friday to remain part of a packed leaderboard midway through the second round at the US Women’s Open.
Going out in the morning wave, Ganne followed up her sparkling first-round 67 with a even- 71 to sit at 4-under for the major.
She was one shot back of Mel Reid, who went out in the afternoon and birdied her first hole to get to 5-under.
The 17-year-old Ganne was tied with fellow Americans Megan Khang and Angel Yin at 4-under amid dense coastal fog and gusting wind at The Olympic Club’s Lake Course.
Lurking two shots back of Englishwoman Reid was China’s Shanshan Feng and Yuka Saso of the Philippines.
While those players were able to avoid any big mistakes in the difficult conditions, Brooke Henderson was not so lucky, piling up eight bogeys and a just one birdie to fall from having a share of third place on Thursday to tied for 49th on Friday.
The Canadian repeatedly found herself battling the course’s thick rough and subsequently slipped down the leaderboard.
In an ominous sign for the leaders, seven-time major winner Inbee Park of South Korea found her stride on Friday, carding a round of two-under 69 to sit three shots off the lead and tied with American Lexi Thompson.
This week marks the first time that the oldest women’s major has been played at The Olympic Club, a course that has hosted five US Opens. The club did not admit its first female member until 1992.
A limited number of fans are on site at the 76th edition of the tournament, which had no spectators on site last year due to the coronavirus pandemic. – Reuters
