Maja Stark Maintains Lead at Buick LPGA Shanghai | LPGA

After 36 holes at the Buick LPGA Shanghai, Maja Stark maintains her lead with a second-round score of 68, bringing her total to -10. This is Stark’s first appearance at Qizhong Garden Golf Club, and she is eager to secure her first victory since winning the 2022 ISPS Handa World Invitational.

Stark’s performance on Friday was even better than the previous day, as she hit better shots and improved her overall game. Although she didn’t make as many putts, she feels confident about her progress.

Starting with back-to-back rounds in the 60s, which she hasn’t achieved since the FREED Group Women’s Scottish Open earlier this season, Stark began her second round with a birdie on hole No. 3. She had a small setback with a bogey on the par-3 7th hole but quickly recovered with birdies on holes No. 8 and 9. She finished strong with birdies on holes No. 13 and 16, securing her first-ever 36-hole lead on the Tour.

On Saturday, Stark will be playing alongside Danielle Kang, a two-time Buick champion, and the local favorite, Yu Liu from the People’s Republic of China. Both Kang and Liu are tied for second place at -9.

Stark is excited to play alongside Liu on her home course and hopes to gain some insight into the challenging layout. Having faced Liu before in the Bank of Hope LPGA Match-Play in May and emerging victorious, Stark believes she can learn a few strategies from her.

Liu had a strong performance, tying her season-low individual 18-hole score with a 67. Although she had a bogey on the 8th hole, she made an impressive streak of five birdies in the next six holes, elevating her position on the leaderboard.

Despite the rain and low expectations due to her difficulty playing in wet conditions, Liu managed to navigate through the round without major setbacks. She aims to maintain her steady performance throughout the tournament.

Kang also had a solid round, with seven birdies and two bogeys. In her final six holes of the day, she managed to secure four birdies, contributing to her strong track record at the Buick LPGA Shanghai. Kang now holds a score of -25 in her last six rounds at this event.

Azahara Munoz, known as #LPGAMom, is tied for fourth place with rookie Yuna Nishimura and Thailand’s Pavarisa Yoktuan at -8. Munoz had a great start to the round, making an impressive up and down on the first hole. She continued to hit the ball well throughout the day and remained bogey-free through 36 holes.

There are several players within striking distance of Stark’s lead, including Rolex Rankings No. 1 Lilia Vu, who is tied for 14th place at -5. With 20 players within five strokes of the lead, there is still plenty of competition ahead.

Unfortunately, Sei Young Kim had to withdraw from the tournament before the second round due to illness. However, Ruoning Yin, World No. 2, recorded another under-par round and is tied for 30th place at -3 in her return to Shanghai.