LEONA MAGUIRE IMPROVED on her opening round 75 at the Cognizant Founders Cup, but remains well off the lead in New Jersey.
Maguire fired a second round 74 to finish three over for the day, and move to seven over for the weekend.
Maguire registered five bogeys and two birdies on a frustrating day where she struggled to make up the ground lost following a difficult first round on Thursday.
It was a better day for Stephanie Meadow, who sits one under after a second round 71.
Meadow hit three birdies and three bogeys to remain in contention at the Mountain Ridge Country Club.
South Korea’s Ko Jin-young maintained her three-shot lead with four holes to play on Friday as darkness halted play, with Olivia Mehaffey still on three-over.
World number two Ko had matched her career-low round with an eight-under par 63 on Thursday that gave her a three-shot edge over Germany’s Sandra Gal when darkness fell on the opening day.
On Friday, when dense morning fog caused another delay of more than two hours, she had a bogey and three birdies in her first 14 holes and at 10-under par was three ahead of three players on seven-under.
Ko teed off on 10 and followed a bogey at the 17th with birdies at 18, two and three.
“On the front nine, I had a lot of missed shots but I made a lot of good saves, so it’s fine,” Ko said. “I had a lot of good opportunity for birdies and left four holes for tomorrow.
“I will just take a rest tonight and then I will get better for tomorrow.”
American Lindsey Weaver was in the clubhouse on seven-under 135.
She played in the only afternoon group to finish the second round and after hurrying to her final hole, the ninth, she finished with a bogey that capped a four-under par 67.
“Literally nothing is more important (than finishing),” she said. “I was telling my caddie, I would hate to be playing No. 9 at 7 a.m. tomorrow morning.
“I’m happy to be done, even though I made bogey on it. I’m just happy I don’t have to wake up at 5 a.m. tomorrow. I’m good. I’m happy with it.”
On the course, former world number one Ryu So-yeon was seven-under for the tournament with four holes to play and France’s Perrine Delacour was seven-under with seven holes remaining.
China’s Lin Xiyu and South Koreans Chella Choi and Jenny Shin were in the clubhouse on six-under 136, with South Korea’s Chun In-gee six-under through 12 holes.
Choi carded a three-under par 68, setting aside the wedding planning that is taking up much of her time these days.
“I played pretty good today,” Choi said. “Yesterday I was pretty good. Had a lot of good shots. But today when I started my round, my shots were not good, but I made some really good pars so that’s why I played good today.”
Choi said the approach of her wedding in December had given her a fresh perspective on her game and career, which is making her happier on the course as well as off.
“You know, for the last 20 years I just played golf, but right now I’m trying to make plans for the wedding so I’m very excited,” she said.
“I talk with my boyfriend about my golf game and everything in my life, too. So I’m really good right now.”
With reporting from © – AFP, 2021
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