Melbourne’s Su-hyun Oh has played her way into the all-important top 20 after two rounds of the LPGA Tour’s Q-School in Florida.
Oh, playing on the statistically easier Jones Course at the LPGA International near Daytona, fired a three-under-par 69 to move into a tie for 13th with three rounds to play and just 20 women to gain full LPGA Tour cards for next season.
Those who finish 21-45 to gain conditional status with the LPGA Tour, while for those who make the top-70 (and ties) cut after the fourth rounds, cards on the secondary Symetra Tour are also up for grabs.
Oh, who before turning pro for this event played pennant for Metropolitan in Victoria, opened with a 72 on the Hills Course in round one and had her score to four under before a bogey on her 17th hole – the 8th – dropped her back to six from the lead.
That lead is shared by Texan Casey Grice and Korean Ju Young Park, the sister of two-time LPGA Tour winner Hee Young Park.
Another of the nine Aussies to make a move today was Perth’s Minjee Lee, whose 71 on the Jones Course left her tied for 30th at one under.
Coffs Harbour’s Emma de Groot matched Oh’s 69 but on the tougher Hills course to vault back up the leaderboard to one over after an opening 76.
Yarrawonga’s Breanna Elliott added a 73 to her opening 72 to also sit at one over and tied 48th, while Brisbane’s Maggie Yuan shot a 74 to be two over and tied for 65th.
Perth’s Jayde Panos hit back after with a 71 after a disappointing opening 76 to be three over and tied 80th, while Coonabarrabran’s Rebecca Artis slipped to a tie for 95th when her second-round 75 pushed her back to four over.
The best-placed Aussie after round one, Tamworth’s Julia Boland, had a nightmare second round including two double-bogeys and a triple-bogey en route to a 79 that dropped her to six over and tied for 116th despite an opening 71.
Cressy’s Stacey Keating is one shot further back in a tie for 122nd at seven over after a disappointing 75-76 start featuring just one birdie today.