Sharp dialed in at Ontario event
Hamilton woman top Canadian and tied for lead through 2 rounds
CAMBRIDGE, Ont. — When Canada’s Alena Sharp was faced with challenges on Friday at the Manulife LPGA Classic, she responded in quick fashion.
A penalty stroke and double-bogey on the third hole? Answered with a birdie on the fourth.
A headache coming on at the 11th hole? A run of three straight birdies soon followed.
Sharp refused to buckle en route to a second straight 66 at Whistle Bear Golf Club, moving her into a first-place tie with American Lexi Thompson and Hyo Joo Kim of South Korea at 12 under. Three other players were one shot off the lead at the tournament’s midway point.
Sharp, from Hamilton, capped her front nine with an eagle and had a run of three straight birdies on the back.
Perrine Delacour of France, American Lindy Duncan and South Korea’s In Gee Chun were tied in fourth place, while China’s Shanshan Feng, Bronte Law of England and Minjee Lee of Australia were two strokes behind the leaders.
Canadians Brittany Marchand and Brooke Henderson were also in contention.
Marchand shot a 70 to make her first career LPGA Tour cut. The full-time Symetra Tour player from Orangeville, Ont., was five strokes off the lead at 7-under 137.
Henderson, from Smiths Falls, Ont., was six shots back after a 67. She started a run of four straight birdies on the ninth hole and played bogey-free the rest of the way.
“That was the day that I needed,” said Henderson.
Augusta James of Orangeville had a 73 to fall to 1-under 143, just one stroke away from the cutline at the US$1.7-million tournament. Maddie Szeryk (78-67) of London, Ont., and Maude-Aimee LeBlanc of Sherbrooke, Que., (74-71) also missed the cut at 145.
The rest of the Canadian contingent included Jennifer Kirby (76-72, 148) of Brantford, Ont., Calgary’s Jaclyn Lee (75-74, 149), Calgary’s Jennifer Ha (72-77, 149), Samantha Richdale (79-72, 151) of Kelowna, Grace St. Germain (79-72, 151) of Penticton, Vivian Tsui (76-76, 152) of Markham, Ont., and Charlottetown’s Lorie Kane (76-77, 153).
Delacour shot a blistering 62, the lowest score at the tournament since three players shot 63 when the event moved here in 2015.
South Korea’s Inbee Park (2014) and Hee Young Park (2013) share the tournament low of 10-under 61. Both rounds came at the Grey Silo Golf Course in nearby Waterloo.