Field Level Media
14 May 2022, 05:35 GMT+10
Minjee Lee of Australia went low with a 9-under 63 Friday to take the 36-hole lead at the Cognizant Founders Cup in Clifton, N.J.
Lee's round featured eight birdies, an eagle and just one bogey. It helped her build a three-shot advantage over Ally Ewing, Lexi Thompson and Sweden's Madelene Sagstrom, who enter the weekend tied for second at 11 under.
Lee holed a lengthy putt to eagle the par-5 12th at Upper Montclair Country Club. She was on track for a career-low 62 before her lone bogey at No. 16 brought her back a shot.
"I go pretty much shot by shot and not get too far ahead of myself," Lee said. "When I had a putt I tried to hole it. When I had a shot I tried to hit it close."
Lee is searching for her first win on the LPGA Tour since the Evian Championship -- her first major title -- last July.
Sagstrom led after the first round thanks to her own 63 Thursday, but starting on the back nine Friday, she was 2 over par for her round through five holes. She recovered with a birdie at No. 18 and three more on the front to shoot a 2-under 70.
"I was talking to (caddie Shane Codd) and I think I was trying a bit too hard," Sagstrom said. "Trying to find the same momentum I had yesterday and it just wasn't there, so I think I kind of just had to calm myself down."
Thompson shot a bogey-free 66, and Ewing matched the 66 with seven birdies and just one bogey. Thompson was glad to improve her showing on the back nine from a 1-over 37 Thursday to a 3-under 33 Friday.
"My front nine was definitely a little sketchy (Thursday). Wasn't my best ball striking," Thompson said. "Just felt a little bit out of it. But I just tried to scratch that going into the turn. ... Let's just start scratch and let's just fire away at the pins and commit to my shots. That's all I can do."
New Jersey was also the setting for Thompson's last victory on tour -- the 2019 ShopRite LPGA Classic.
Finland's Sanna Nuutinen shot a 4-under 68 to take sole possession of fifth place at 9 under. Paula Reto of South Africa (67), Carlota Ciganda of Spain (69) and Megan Khang (72) were tied for sixth at 8 under.
Eighty players made the cut of 1 under or better, including defending champion and world No. 1 Jin Young Ko of South Korea (5 under). Sixteen-year-old amateur Anna Davis shot a second straight 70 to make the cut at 4 under, her second made cut in as many starts on tour.
--Field Level MediaGet a daily dose of Madagascar Sun news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Madagascar Sun.
More InformationNew Delhi [India], March 1 (ANI): Afghanistan's steady rise in international cricket has caught the attention of cricketing greats,...
New Delhi [India], March 1 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday highlighted India's capability to efficiently organize large-scale...
BEIJING, March 1 (Xinhua) -- A selection of the best press photos from Xinhua. A drone photo taken on Feb. 27, 2025 shows the construction...
(250301) -- JUBA, March 1, 2025 (Xinhua) -- A nurse from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) South Sudan delegation...
New Delhi [India], March 1 (ANI): The Indian Coast Guard Ship Sachet departed for Sudan on Friday, carrying over two tons of life-saving...
ABUJA, NIGERIA — For longtime automotive importer David Tope, Nigeria's auto market has become increasingly difficult. He used to...
MEXICO CITY, Mexico: Three American women were found dead over the weekend at a beach resort in Belize, police said. Officials are...
BANGKOK, Thailand: Chinese authorities said they started live-fire military exercises in the Gulf of Tonkin this week, just days after...
ABOARD THE CHARLES DE GAULLE, Philippines: France's nuclear-powered aircraft carrier and its warships arrived in the Philippines over...
FRESNO, California: Fresno State suspended two of its top men's basketball players last weekend and removed a third player from the...
WARSAW, Poland: Deputy Prime Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski confirmed over the weekend that Poland has been covering the cost of Ukraine's...
Israel sustained the West's support for its slaughter in Gaza for 15 months only through an intensive campaign of lies. It invented...