Savannah Grewal is in the hunt for her first career LPGA Tour victory.
The 23-year-old rookie from Mississauga, Ont., shot a two-under 70 in the second round at the Lotte Championship on Thursday to sit tied for seventh at six-under for the tournament.
Nataliya Guseva of Russia shot a five-under 67 on Thursday for a share of the lead with A Lim Kim, Ruixin Liu and Yuri Yoshida.
Guseva holed out from 120 yards for eagle on the par-4 seventh and had four birdies and a bogey in her afternoon round to reach nine-under 135 at breezy Hoakalei Country Club.
“I was really trying to be in the present because it was super windy,” the 21-year-old former University of Miami player said. “I was like, 'It could be like anything could happen today. I could shoot a great round and not even make the cut.'"
Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., was tied for 21st after firing a one-under 71 round, while fellow Canadian Alena Sharp fell into a tie for 66th with her six-over 75. Maude-Aimée LeBlanc, sitting at two-over through two rounds, missed the cut by one shot.
Kim, the first-round leader, bogeyed her final two holes late in the afternoon for a 69.
Kim is No. 65 in the Race to CME Globe, and only has two tournaments left to crack the top 60 and earn a spot in the season finale that pays $4 million to the winner. She won the U.S. Women’s Open in December 2020 for her lone LPGA Tour title.
“Today feel like a little change the wind every time, every single hole,” Kim said. “So, some hole made mistake and some hole I think it’s great. So, that’s golf.”
Yoshida shot 67, and Liu 68.
“I played well in very windy today,” Yoshida said.
Liu closed with a birdie on the par-3 ninth.
“I feel pretty satisfied today, especially playing the afternoon with the strong wind,” Liu said. “I’m able to stay patient and not overthinking because the easiest thing to do is just try to over-correct my swing during the wind.”
Ryann O’Toole was a stroke back after a 66.
“I felt very comfortable out there,” O'Toole said. “I like windy conditions.”
Auston Kim was another shot behind at 7 under, also shooting 66.
--with files from Sportsnet
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