Lee6 eagles her last hole to take 36-hole lead at ShopRite LPGA Classic

GALLOWAY, N.J. – Just when the game seemed a little more difficult for Jeongeun Lee6 during a windy second round Saturday at the ShopRite LPGA Classic, the U.S. Women’s Open champion dialed up a strong finish to emerge at the top of the leaderboard.

Lee6 birdied the short 17th hole and sank a four-foot eagle putt at the 18th for a 3-under-par 69 and a one-stroke lead in the $1.75 million tournament over the Bay Course at Seaview.

Her 36-hole score of 10-under 132 kept her on pace to become the fifth player in LPGA Tour history to win the Women’s Open and the next tournament in back-to-back weeks, a club made up of Louise Suggs (1952), Jane Geddes (1986), Se Ri Pak (1998) and Meg Mallon (2004).

Mariah Stackhouse, who contended at last year’s ShopRite tournament and finished in a tie for seventh, ended the day in second place at 133 after a 67 to earn a chance at becoming the first African-American winner of an LPGA event.

Lexi Thompson, the top American in the world rankings, overcame a dreadful 4-putt double bogey at her 10th hole with an eagle and two birdies, giving her a 70 to lead a three-way deadlock at 134 with Ally McDonald (67) and Nanna Koerstz Madsen (68).

The day went from breezy to windy around noon. The velocity stayed consistent at around 20 miles an hour, turning the afternoon competition into a survival contest. Only Thompson, Koerstz Madsen, and Yu Liu (69-135) earned a spot in the top 12 after teeing off in the afternoon.

Lee6’s numbers through two days have been all over – two eagles, 13 birdies, seven bogeys. The first-round co-leader with a 63 was 1-over par for her round Saturday after a bogey at the par-3 15th and she said it made her focus even more on the final holes.

“Before hole 15, I kind of wanted to make a birdie as much as I can,” she said through an interpreter. “So after 15, I just wanted to finish strong and I did. So I’m pretty satisfied with it.”

After a par at 16, she sank a 17-foot birdie putt at 17. Then with the par-5 18th playing downwind, she hit a 6-iron from 185 yards to within 4 feet for the closing eagle and the lead.

“I know the wind condition was not that great and I assumed the score would not be as good as” Friday, she said. “So my goal was to finish at 3-under (on the last two holes) and I’m pretty satisfied."

Stackhouse has seen her putter come to life this weekend with 11 birdies, five of them Saturday. The short stick has been the source of constant frustration for her this season after making two of her first 10 cuts.

She said she won’t think about the historic significance of what she can achieve Sunday while she’s competing.

“I would only really think about that after the tournament is up,” she said. “Every single shot, that’s all I’m concerned with, is getting that number right, putting the right club in my hand and executing a solid shot. So there’s just no time for your mind to wander to any other things until the round is up.”

Around the course

Brynn Walker of St. Davids, who is entering her senior year at North Carolina, shot a 76 for a 153 total to miss the cut in her second ShopRite LPGA competition. … The cut was at even-par 142 with 74 players qualifying for Sunday’s final round. Defending champion Annie Park carded a 74 and missed by one. … Brianna Do of Lakewood, Calif., used an 8-iron to make a hole-in-one at the 164-yard 11th hole. ... Pornanong Phatlum, who shared the first-round lead with Lee6 at 63, had a 77 Saturday.