(June 6, Zhuhai) Fourteen-year-old Beijing native Liu Yujie once again topped the leaderboard at the Women’s China LPGA Tour, sharing the lead with Shanghai rookie Cao Xinyu and Thai player Kotidha after the second round of the Golf Wine Guangdong Women’s Open.
Liu Yujie shot a second consecutive under-par round of 69 at the Zhuhai Cuihu Golf Club, matching the score of Kotidha, who was in her group. Cao Xinyu bounced back from yesterday’s 73 with the lowest round of the day, a 66. All three players were tied at 139, five under par.
Thailand’s 31-year-old Somlada, a winner at Zhuhai Oriental in 2018, shot a 69 to share fourth place with Beijing’s 18-year-old Liu Yuki (67), one stroke behind the leaders.
Pang Runjie carded a 72, while He Jiaying shot a 69, both at three-under 141, tied for sixth position.
Starting the second round two shots back and tied for fourth, Liu Yujie dropped a shot on the third hole due to a three-putt but didn’t make any further mistakes.
At the fifth hole, she chipped in from 20 yards off the green with a 60-degree wedge for her first birdie, then added more points on the back nine. At the ninth, she hit another good 60-degree shot from 57 yards to eight feet for a birdie, followed by a 25-foot putt for birdie at the 10th.
Liu Yujie’s final birdie came at the par-5 15th, where she chipped in from 25 yards with a 56-degree wedge again.
“I used almost the same clubs as yesterday, but because of better ball striking, I gained an extra 5 or 6 yards today, which meant I kept hitting through the greens,” Liu Yujie said. “But my chipping was excellent today, 100% up and down, and I chipped in twice, so that was the best part of my game today. I’d give myself a 95 out of 100 for today.”
Last month, Liu Yujie held a share of the 36-hole lead at the Orient Pearl River Challenge in Beijing but slipped to a tie for 10th in the final round. Liu believes she has learned from that experience.
“I’ll handle this situation better than last time because I’ve learned from my previous mistake,” Liu Yujie said. “Tomorrow, my strategy might be more aggressive rather than overly defensive, because I think only by attacking can I have a chance to win. But I still need to focus on myself, as there are many co-leaders. It’s not a one-on-one battle, so I have to play my own game to have a chance to win.”
If Liu Yujie triumphs tomorrow, she will break Ren Yijia’s record as the youngest winner in the history of the Women’s China LPGA Tour, set at the Beijing Ladies Challenge.
A victory would also hold special significance for Cao Xinyu, who celebrates her 18th birthday tomorrow. Winning her first title on the tour would be the perfect birthday gift. However, the rookie says she won’t rush things.
After a bogey on the first hole on Thursday, Cao Xinyu responded with seven birdies, including three in a row starting at the 14th. She made birdies from within 10 feet in the first two holes and sank a 25-footer on the 16th. Post-round, she said, “I had fewer mistakes today. Yesterday, I had two balls in the water, but I avoided that today. My iron play was slightly better, getting me closer, and I made several putts from around 10 feet. Tomorrow, I’ll just try to play my game like I did the past two days.”
Kotidha, a two-time winner in Thailand, recorded three birdies without dropping a shot, coming close to the pin three times.
“My putting was very good today. The back nine wasn’t as good, but it wasn’t bad either,” said the Bangkok golfer. “Tomorrow, I’ll stick to the same strategy, enjoy the sport, and not overthink things.”
As the third regular-season event of the 2024 China LPGA Tour season, the 400,000-yuan Golf Wine Guangdong Women’s Open is hosted by the China Golf Association, with support from the Guangdong Provincial Sports Bureau and Zhuhai Municipal Culture, Radio, Television, Tourism and Sports Bureau. The tournament is organized by the Guangdong Golf Administrative Center and China LPGA Tour Co., Ltd., and certified by the China LPGA Tour. The host course is Zhuhai Cuihu Golf Club, with Golf Wine as the title sponsor.
Photographers: Liu Zhuang, Huang Guanhua