July 07, 2018: Aditi Ashok set herself for another rewarding week on the LPGA Tour with a solid 67 in the second round of the Thornberry Creek LPGA Classic. The 20-year-old from Bengaluru followed through her first round 69 with another pugnacious round of golf to end the day at T22. Aditi is currently eight adrift of the leader, Sei Young Kim, who is in command at 16-under 128.
Kim is in destructive form. She looked set to post a second straight 63, but was undone by a double bogey at the par-3 17th hole. Kim settled for a 65 in the second round including nine birdies.
Aditi played extremely well on Friday, making a forceful start with a birdie at the par-5 third hole. She then pushed her way up the order with a troika of birdies starting at the 7th hole.
A bogey at the par-4 11th hole threatened to snatch away her momentum, but Aditi responded with back to back birdies at 13 & 14.
A second bogey came at the 17th but Aditi remediated the loss immediately to close the round with a birdie and a 67 to her name.
China’s Yu Liu did a Kim on Friday. Starting with an eagle at the par-5 third hole, Liu added seven more birdies through her impressive round. She made three in a row before making the turn as she climbed up the order. She is 12-under through 36 holes.
There are five women tied in third place – In Gee Chun (67-66), Amy Yang (67-66), Mariah Stackhouse (66-67), Emma Talley (65-68) and overnight leader Katherine Kirk who added a disappointing 71 to her first round score of 62.
Chella Choi, Brittany Altomare and Anna Nordquist are in the chasing pack at 10-under 134.
The group ahead of Aditi is packed like Sardines. Mi Jung Hur, Lydia Ko, Jin Young Ko, Bronte Law, Mo Martin, Jodi Ewart Shadoff, Dani Holmqvist, Ariya Jutanugarn, Georgia Hall, Carlota Ciganda and Sandra Gal are all at 9-under through 36 holes.
