MIDLAND, Mich. (AP) 鈥� Jennifer Kupcho and Leona Maguire shot a 10-under 60 in better-ball play Friday to take the second-round lead in the Dow Championship, the LPGA Tour鈥檚 only team event.
The Solheim Cup rivals had a 13-under 127 total at Midland Country Club after opening with an alternate-shot 67 on Thursday.
鈥淭he plan today was just to give ourselves as many chances as we could, try to get two chances on every hole,鈥� said Maguire, from Ireland. 鈥淔or the most part, we did that. It was nice to start off with a birdie and sort of an eagle very early on to get the ball rolling.鈥�
They had a one-stroke lead over Cassie Porter and Gemma Dryburgh, the first-round leaders who parred the final six holes in a 62. The teams will play another alternate-shot round Saturday, and close with a better-ball round Sunday.
鈥淟ots of golf to go,鈥� said Kupcho, the 2022 winner with fellow American Lizette Salas. 鈥淚 think just kind of staying where we鈥檙e at and continuing what we鈥檙e doing the best we can.鈥�
The teams of Sarah Schmelzel-Albane Valenzuela (61), Manon De Roey-Pauline Roussin-Bouchard (61) and and Yan Liu-Yahui Zhang (62) were 11 under.
鈥淚t was a great round,鈥� Valenzuela said, 鈥淚 feel like I definitely feed off Sarah鈥檚 energy. She makes it really easy for me on the course.鈥�
Lexi Thompson and Meghan Kang, tied for second after an opening 67, had a 65 to drop into a tie for ninth at 8 under.
鈥淔airways and greens, hole a few more putts,鈥� Thompson said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 the goal.鈥�
Defending champions Ruoning Yin and Jeeno Thitikul, both among the top five in the women鈥檚 world ranking, were 6 under after a 66.
Savannah Grewal of Mississauga, Ont., and American Gurleen Kaur, Hamilton's Alena Sharp and Australia's Sarah Kemp, and Maude-Aimee Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que., and Hong Kong's Tiffany Chan all missed the cut.
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The Associated Press
