Nelly Korda, the top-ranked player, fell short of advancing to the weekend play at the Meijer LPGA Classic after missing her second consecutive cut. Despite a valiant effort on Friday, Korda finished a stroke shy of making the cut line.
Following a challenging opening round of 4-over 76 in windy conditions, Korda bounced back with a solid 67 in her second round, finishing at 1 under at Blythefield Country Club. Korda, who had previously won six out of seven events, expressed her disappointment, stating, 'Didn't play too bad, just a tough week.'
Ally Ewing and Grace Kim emerged as the co-leaders at 11-under 133 after the second round. Ewing's impressive round of 63 included a chip-in eagle on the par-5 eighth hole, while Kim shot a 65, rebounding from a bogey with an eagle on the par-5 18th.
Despite a slow start with a double bogey-bogey-bogey sequence in the first round, Korda showcased her resilience in the second round by birdieing the first three holes and four of the first five. However, she fell short of making the cut, finishing tied for 133rd.
Brooke Henderson, the Canadian who previously won the event in 2017 and 2019, shot a 69 to lead the group at 8 under. Henderson expressed contentment with her performance, stating, 'Happy with 3 under and excited to play the weekend.'
Other notable performances included Nanna Koerstz Madsen of Denmark and Narin An of South Korea tied for third at 9 under, and Americans Allisen Corpuz and Lauren Hartlage, along with China's Jing Yan and South Korea's Jin Hee Im, all at 8 under.
Lexi Thompson, the 2015 winner, finished at 5 under and expressed optimism heading into the weekend, saying, 'Hit a lot of great shots out there and made some good birdies, especially coming in. So, positives going into the weekend.'
The tournament continues with exciting matchups as players strive for victory at the Meijer LPGA Classic.
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