16 July 2021: Thai sisters Ariya and Moriya Jutanugarn shot an 11-under 59 in best-ball play Thursday to take a two-stroke lead in the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational. Fellow Thai player Pajaree Anannarukarn and India’s Aditi Ashok were second after a 63. Anannarukarn eagled the par-4 12th.
Aditi and Pajaree have remained bogey-free through 36 holes.
Ariya and Moriya Jutanugarn, aka Team M&M, cruised to the top of the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational leaderboard after a second-round 59 (four-ball) to take a two-stroke lead at -14. The sisters posted 11 birdies, including four straight between Nos. 4-7.
Closing with two on their final holes, the Jutanugarns matched the second-lowest four-ball round in the tournament’s history; in its inaugural year, Cydney Clanton and Jasmine Suwannapura recorded a 59 in the final round to secure the victory, only bested by a fourth-round 58 recorded by Jin Young Ko and Minjee Lee, who ultimately finished in a tie for second.
“To be honest, I don’t know how many birdies we’re making today or like we’re going to make — we’re going to shoot 59, like make that putt. But just what she said, like when she feels uncomfortable and she want to just take the tee shot first, so I do the same thing on the last hole because I don’t really feel comfortable with the pin tucked on the left side. I’m like, can I go first, and it kind of makes her a little nervous because I take a little longer time, and after I hit the shot, she’s like, I’m a little nervous because it seems like you take a little longer time,” said Moriya, who made a five-footer on No. 18 to earn the sub-60 round. “But it comes out good, and just like momentum, I guess. It’s not like I feel really comfortable with that shot, but I know she will get my back.”
In 2019, the sisters finished in a tie for third at -20, recording 65-61 in the four-ball portions of the event. The two said they have a competition within the tournament, trying to beat each other with the number of birdies each of them makes throughout the day. Tomorrow, they said they’ll work on “playing without fear.”
“We have to play without feeling sorry to each other because of course we’re going to miss some. What I always told her, just have good commit, and if you miss it, you miss it. I’m going to try to do the same thing,” said Ariya.
Pajaree Anannarukarn and Aditi Ashok, the Spice Girls, followed up a first-round 65 with a four-ball 63, making five birdies and an eagle from the Thai on No. 12 to sit in solo second at -12. Ashok said the duo do not have a preference when it comes to playing either foursomes or four-ball, and are more than satisfied with their play in each so far this week.
“I think both are equally nerve-racking because sometimes — yesterday’s format is difficult, but sometimes it feels easy because there’s no choice. No matter what happens you have to play the next shot; whereas here sometimes you see the other person and you kind of — it changes your approach a little bit,” said Ashok. “I think both are equally very difficult. But yeah, we’ve enjoyed both. We’re playing good, so we’re happy.”
The team of MI6 – Jeongeun Lee6 and Mi Jung Hur – along with Wichanee Meechai and Pavarisa Yoktuan (World War 3) are tied for third after Thursday’s round at -11. Hur sealed herself and Lee6 a 62 on the day after a final birdie on No. 18, their fifth of the back nine, but said she trusted Lee6 with the putter more over the last two days.
“Even she had a long par putt, have to make it, I just give to my caddie putter away, because she’s going to make it,” said Hur. “Like yesterday, foursomes, especially foursomes, if she missed the putt I have to finish out, but I always give to my caddie my putter. She’s going to make it.”
Rounding out the top five are defending champions Team All In, Cydney Clanton and Jasmine Suwannapura, and Reidy to Fiesta, Mel Reid and Carlota Ciganda, at -10. Six teams sit in a tie for seventh at -9, including major champion duo Danielle Kang and Lydia Ko (Sisters From Another Mister). There were 41 teams that made the cut at -4. The teams of Maia Schecter/Laura Gonzalez Escallon and Ashleigh Buhai/Lizette Salas were disqualified under Rule 23.2(b). Each score on the scorecard must be clearly identified as the score of the individual partner who made it; if this is not done, the side is disqualified. It is not enough to identify a score as the score of the side in general.
