Ashleigh Buhai played her way into contention on Saturday with a five-under-par 65 in the second round of the LPGA Tour’s Pelican Women’s Championship in Florida.
Buhai, the Women’s Open champion, climbed 31 places on the leaderboard after her opening one-under 69, and, at ninth heading into the final round, she was four shots off the lead. Allisen Corpuz of the United States also carded a five-under-par second round to move to 10-under. That was one stoke clear of Sweden’s Maja Stark, Lexi Thompson of the United States, and Italian Maria Fassi. Stark had a 64, Thompson a 67 and Fassi a 69.
Buhai started her round with a birdie on the first hole, and she made two more on six and seven. But she made a double-bogey five on the par-three ninth to reach the turn in one-under. She was flawless son the way in, reeling off three birdies in a row from the 11th and signing off with another on the final hole.
She hit all the fairways in a precision display off the tees, and her putting, with 25 putts for the round, helped her convert the chances she gave herself when she hit 13 of 18 greens in regulation.
Paula Reto battled to a seven-over-par 77 to miss the cut on five-over for the 54-hole tournament.
