MADEIRA, Ohio ‒ The second round of the LPGA’s Kroger Queen City Championship presented by P&G ended with Jeongeun Lee6 atop the leaderboard at 13-under. Of the 144 golfers that teed off on Friday at Kenwood Country Club, only 76 made it through to Saturday’s third round.
The 26-year-old’s 9-under career-low 63 was put together with nine birdies and no bogeys.
“It was a good bogey-free round, and it’s been a while since I played a bogey-free day, so I’m really satisfied with my game,” Lee6 said.
Lee6 said she plans to concentrate on her downswing and to “focus on the process, not the result.”
China’s Xiyu Lin shot 4 under and currently sits behind Lee6 at 12 under.
American golfer Ally Ewing, 29, finished third at 11 under after an 8-under round, at one point making six birdies in a row. She ended up with three more birdies and one bogey on 18, posting a 64 on day two at Kenwood.
Ewing said hole 18 is a hard one in general and this week’s rain made it soft, but overall she credits her solid putting streak today for putting her so far ahead.
“That’s big for my confidence and just the state of my putting, just seeing some putts go in.” said the Mississippi native. “I’m excited to see a low score. I don’t think I’ve had one of those in a hot minute.”
Maria Fassi made four birdies in a row, six total, and now sits 10 under. She’s tied for fourth with Sarah Kemp.
Americans Megan Khang and Andrea Lee, both 24, are two of five players tied for sixth after day two. Both women have yet to win on the LPGA but are poised to end the weekend on a high note.
Thirty-six-year-old Paula Creamer made it through to the weekend at 2 under. The 10-time LPGA winner and 2010 U.S. Women’s Open champion recently returned from maternity leave and had a hole-in-one during Thursday’s first round.
As for 14-year-old Gianna Clemente, she did not make the cut after finishing 5 over Friday with six bogeys. On Monday, the Warren, Ohio, native qualified for the third week in a row. Despite only playing two rounds, Clemente attracted the attention of several aspiring golfers her age, including 14-year-old Katherina Cosby from Steamboat Springs, Colorado, and Charlotte Robinson, a Clarksville, Ohio, native.
“When we saw that Gianna was my age, we were so excited,” said Cosby, who has been playing golf since she was age five. “It’s so inspiring to see her out here.”
This is Cincinnati’s first big golf event in decades and first LPGA tournament since 1963. The Kroger Queen City Championship presented by P&G was secured after its title sponsors signed on last year and Kenwood Country Club stepped up as host.
In a press conference, Ewing praised the conditions of day two at Kenwood, saying that despite the rain earlier in the week, the course felt great. “It’s old school,” she said. “I think there is just a freedom in seeing shots hole by hole and there being no past memory of anything.
“It’s exciting to be at a new course,” she added. “We’ve got some great Cincinnati fans that are showing up and supporting the LPGA.”
