Leona Maguire shoots 64 to take 36-hole clubhouse lead at the Meijer LPGA Classic

Leona Maguire shoots 64 to take 36-hole clubhouse lead at the Meijer LPGA Classic

The Irish golfer Leona Maguire carded a superb 8-under 64 in the second round to grab the lead at the mid-way stage of Meijer LPGA Classic.

The young golfer, who started the second day as a joint leader, played a solid game on day two and finished with an overall score of 15-under par after 36 holes at the Blythefield Country Club, Belmont, USA.

Maguire started her day with five birdies in the first nine holes, but she bogeyed the first two holes in the last nine, but then she smashed three birdies and one eagle to hold the top spot.

“You can’t really protect a lead,” Maguire said. “You can’t just try and make pars and stuff. You have to sort of go for everything. You have to hit a lot fairways out here. It’s tough when you get in the rough. I knew all about that on 1 and 2.”

Nelly Korda

Nelly Korda carded a solid 66 to get to 10 under, matching Anna Nordqvist (67), Mina Harigae (66), Brittany Altomare (66) and Lizette Salas (66).

Lexi Thompson, who won the tournament in 2015, had her second 68 to reach 8-under. While the Top-ranked Young Ko was six under after carding a 3-under 69.

The two-time tournament winner and reigning champion, Brooke Henderson, missed the cut by a stroke after rounds of 75 and 67. The Canadian played for the first time since 2016 without sister Brittany — sidelined by visa problems — at her side as her caddie.