19 Jun 2021 | Professional golf |
Oh so good for Aussie in Michigan
by Martin Blake
It hasn’t been the LPGA Tour season for which Su Oh hoped, but nobody has ever denied her fighting spirit.
And today in a very happy hunting ground in Grand Rapids, Michigan, the fight finally came out to play.
Oh, 25, carded a bogey-free seven-under-par 65 after her opening 67 to sit second at 12 under in the Meijer LPGA Classic, behind only the white-hot Leona Maguire (-15).
The Victorian, second on this same Blythefield Country Club course in 2019 and fourth in 2017, was even par after seven holes of her opening round.
From that point, 12 birdies without a blemish in the subsequent 29 holes has her perfectly poised to challenge again.
“I didn’t get to (the point of) trying too hard, just kept my cool and that was quite good,” the modest Oh said of a round that included a bomb for par on the second hole, her 11th.
“It was from about 60 feet and I thought, `Here comes a bogey’, but it went in to my surprise.
“Yeah, so no hiccups and made a six-footer to make par on last, but (the rest were) all tap-ins, which was lovely.”
Oh said the course had been “quite nice” to her in years past, said the putter this week had been the big difference in her scoring power.
“I holed more putts than a few weeks ago (and) once you start holing 20-footers you get on a roll,” she said.
“I just rode the momentum well the past couple of days.”
Incredibly, Maguire made two bogeys in her second-round 64.
But the Irishwoman more than made amends with eight birdies and an eagle good for her three-shot lead.
Her form obviously strung out the field, which will contain three other Australians this weekend.
Hannah Green continued her outstanding form with a 66 today to reach eight under, while Katherine Kirk’s 67 lifted her to seven under.
Rookie pro Gabi Ruffels impressed again with an even-par 72 to sit five under and in a share of 39th.
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