(Photo credit score: Cincinnati Enquirer-USA TODAY Sports)
Peiyun Chien of Taiwan fired an 8-under-par 64 on Friday to seize a four-shot lead on the halfway level of the Kroger Queen City Championship in Cincinnati.
Chien made six birdies and holed out for an eagle 2 on the par-4 sixth gap at Kenwood Country Club. She moved to 14-under 130, comfortably forward of Morgane Metraux of Switzerland and China’s Ruoning Yin and Ruixin Lin in a tie for second at 10 below.
Chien, ranked No. 184 on the planet, has gained on the Taiwan LPGA and the Epson Tour however is looking for her first LPGA title.
“The eagle is amazing,” Chien stated. “I was thinking maybe it (would) go in because I have a lot of shots almost went in couple weeks, but I’m still waiting for a eagle. But it just happened, so I’m very happy.”
Metraux parred her first eight holes earlier than breaking by with a birdie on the par-4 ninth. That opened the floodgates, as she added 5 extra birdies on the again 9 whereas remaining bogey-free for a 66.
“Both days I started a little cold,” Metraux stated. “Didn’t make putts at the beginning of the round, and just kept playing steady, kept hitting my spots on the fairways and on the greens, and a few started falling on the back so it was pretty fun.”
Yin, the 20-year-old who gained the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship in June, made three birdies on every 9 to shoot 66 and transfer into good place.
“I think I’m only four shots behind.,” Yin stated. “I mean, I will make birdie as much as I can. Just try to stay with the same strategy and stick with my game. I think will be fine.”
Liu, the first-round chief, posted a 69 with six birdies (together with three straight) and three bogeys.
Yuka Saso of Japan (66) and Charley Hull of England (68) are tied for fifth at 9 below. Nasa Hataoka of Japan recovered from a gap 73 by capturing the spherical of the day, a 9-under 63, to succeed in a tie for seventh at 8 below.
Defending champion Ally Ewing posted a second-round 70 and is tied for nineteenth at 5 below.
The second spherical noticed two holes-in-one. Germany’s Olivia Cowan aced the 154-yard eighth gap with a 7-iron en path to a 67, transferring her to 4 below for the event. Jodi Ewart Shadoff of England had a hole-in-one together with her 8-iron from 161 yards out on the third gap; she carded a 71 and completed the day at 2 over, the place she’s going to miss the reduce.
Other notable gamers who could not attain the reduce line of 1 below par included South Africa’s Ashleigh Buhai (even), U.S. Women’s Open champion Allisen Corpuz (even) and final week’s winner in Portland, Ore., Chanettee Wannasaen of Thailand (1 over).
–Field Level Media