Narin An and Sarah Schmelzel Take Lead at Blue Bay LPGA in China
In an exciting turn of events at the Blue Bay LPGA in Hainan Island, China, Narin An of South Korea and Sarah Schmelzel have taken the lead after two rounds of play. An fired the day’s low round of 65, while Schmelzel shot a 69, putting them at a 9-under par 135 and at the top of a crowded leaderboard.
South Korean Hye-Jin Choi is close behind at 8-under, with China’s Ruixin Lui and Australia’s Minjee Lee tied for fourth at 8-under as well. Lydia Ko of New Zealand, Stephanie Meadow of Northern Ireland, and Americans Bailey Tardy and Lucy Li are all in a four-way tie for sixth at 6-under.
An had an impressive round, recording three birdies on the back nine and then birdying Nos. 1 through 5 after the turn. Despite a bogey on No. 8, she finished the day at 7-under, tying the 18-hole tournament scoring record. Schmelzel, on the other hand, had a steady round with consecutive birdies on holes 12-14.
“It was good,” said Schmelzel, who is coming off a top-10 finish last week in Singapore. “It’s nice to see the prep work and the game plan pay off so far, and just looking forward to seeing how it holds up over the weekend.”
Choi also had a strong round, carding two bogeys and five birdies, including four birdies in five holes from Nos. 14 to 18. She leads the field with 13 total birdies over the two rounds.
Defending champion Gaby Lopez of Mexico is currently tied for 26th at 1-under for the tournament after shooting a 72 in the second round.
The competition is heating up at the Blue Bay LPGA, and fans can expect an exciting finish as the tournament heads into the weekend.