Two new names made their way to the top of the leaderboard after another day of red numbers from the field. The cut was made at 4-under, with 69 players making it to the final round of the Wildhorse Ladies Golf Classic. Cynthia Lu and Pornanong Phatlum climbed into the top spot after both players posted 6-under rounds to move the total to 13-under for the tournament. Amy Lee remains 1-shot back of the lead after backing up her 8-under first round with a comfortable 4-under second round.
Lu set the pace during the morning wave, rolling in four birdies on her opening nine holes, but her lone bogey of the round on hole 7 bumped her down to 3-under on the day before she made the turn. The back nine was flawless, with the 22-year-old putting three more birdies on the card before the end of the round. Lu's 6-under 66 is her second-lowest score of the season. Her only round better was her first round yesterday when she signed for a 7-under 65. A win this week for Lu would be extra special because the co-leader played her college golf five hours down the road at the University of Oregon.
"I think the course is playing reasonable. The wind just picked up and I think there's some good pins out there. Some are really challenging," explained Lu. "The par fives are short, but they also tucked the pin tight. For me, I didn't get any birdies at all on a par five. I think I played it good, I just didn't putt it well enough to make the birdies."
Phatlum matched Lu's 6-under during the afternoon wave but did so going bogey-free throughout the 18 holes. From holes 5 to 13, she took advantage of her opportunities, making five of her six birdies on the day during that stretch. The 34-year-old has spent most of her career on the LPGA Tour, amassing 30 top-10 finishes with a runner-up finish in 2018 at the AIG British Women's Open, highlighting her time on Tour. She has added 10 top-10 finishes to her resume on the Epson Tour over her career but is hoping this week is when she claims her first win on either Tour since her rookie season in 2009.
"I think everything is just like perfect like everything is so good," said Phatlum. "I think yesterday was easier than today because I was playing in the morning yesterday, and there was no wind. I try to play my own game and just concentrate on more putting. I'm putting a lot better, and it makes me more confident."
ABOUT THE LEADERS
Cynthia Lu and Pornanong Phatlum leads the Wildhorse Ladies Golf Classic at 13-under after two rounds
Lu
- Lu made 7 birdies and one bogey in her second round
- She has 15 birdies through 36 holes
- Her first round 65 (-7) and second round 66 (-6) are her two lowest scores of the season
- The Chinese Taipei native has made 7 of her last 8 cuts
- Her best finish this season came at the Copper Rock Championship (T4)
- Lu played collegiately at the University of Oregon
Phatlum
- Phatlum was bogey-free in her 6-under second round
- She has spent most of her 15-year career on the LPGA Tour
- The 34-year-old has 30 career top-10 finishes on the LPGA Tour
- She finished runner-up at the 2018 AIG Women’s British Open
- Phatlum represented Thailand in the 2018 Rio Olympics
- This is her sixth Epson Tour event of the season
- She has made five cuts and has two top-10 finishes
THINGS TO KNOW
Amy Lee posted a 4-under 68 in her second round after opening with an 8-under 64
- Lee’s 8-under round on day one is her lowest round of the season by 4-shots
- She has only made two bogeys through two rounds
- Her best finish this season was in her last start at the Twin Bridges Championship (T8)
- She has now made the cut in her last four starts
- A win at the Wildhorse Ladies Golf Classic would be the first win of her career
Fiona Xu posted her second straight 5-under round to move within 3-shots of the lead
- Xu has made 12 birdies and an eagle over her first 36-holes
- She won the 2024 Copper Rock Championship for her first professional victory
- Her 22-under total at the Copper Rock Championship is the lowest 54-hole total in Epson Tour history
- Her 9-under 63 in her second round tied the course record at Copper Rock Golf Course set by Savannah Vilaubi and Su Oh in 2023
- Was ranked as high as No. 12 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings before turning professional
QUICK QUOTES
Amy Lee (-12, 3rd) on how her game suits Wildhorse Golf Course:
“I think as being a longer hitter, you have a pretty big advantage here. You're able to cut across in some of the holes. I had shorter clubs going into par fives and giving myself good opportunities. I mean, I have a lot of wedges in so, ball striking was very consistent. I hit pretty much every green. I hit 17 greens each day, but the one I missed is on the fringe today. I didn't have as many putts fall today, but hopefully they go in tomorrow.”
Fiona Xu (-10, T7) on what it means to play well coming down the stretch:
“It’s pretty important. I mean, it's the last five or six tournaments. I want to finish strong. This week I've been playing pretty well, pretty consistent off the tee. Then my putting was really good the past two days, which really helped.”
Hailee Cooper (-9, T15) on her goals for the rest of the season:
“My first goal was to finish in the top-125 to be able to get Qualifying secured. Well, I did that with WAPT. So, my next goal for me is top-80 because it gets your Epson Tour card next year, but I really want to be top 35 and skip Qualifying altogether. Just want to have some good finishes and stuff but just really gain confidence going into next year because this is my first year.”
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