Zhang threatening Korda’s winning streak
CLIFTON, N.J. — Rose Zhang is threatening to run away with the Cognizant Founders Cup and end Nelly Korda’s bid for a record sixth straight win on the LPGA Tour.
The 20-year-old Zhang followed a tournament record-tying opening round of 63 with a morning-best 4-under 68 on Friday and moved to 13-under 131 halfway through the event at the Upper Montclair Country Club.
Korda shot a 69 on Thursday, which meant she started her second round 10 shots behind Zhang, who has not won since capturing the Mizuho Americas Open in her professional debut a year ago. In her winning streak, Korda has not trailed by more than eight strokes after the opening round.
Among the early second-round finishers, Yan Liu of China was the closest to Zhang, seven shots back at 138 after a round of 70.
A two-time NCAA champion at Stanford, Zhang had five birdies and her first bogey of the tournament on a raw day that featured intermittent rain, damp conditions and a chill that had her walking the fairways with a windbreaker draped over her shoulders.
“It was definitely cold out there today,” said Zhang, who made a couple of testing putts to save par on her last two holes. “Very wet conditions. It was playing very long so there were a lot more hybrids, woods into greens. Wind also picked up. So I think overall my game plan was just to really commit to all the shots that I needed when I’m out there, and I was able to execute some, make some putts, and call it a round.”
Zhang, who finished her degree after playing in the first tournament of the season, is playing in her seventh event of the year. She has missed two cuts and and finished no better than fifth in the other four.
“The next two days it’s really just me trying to stay as composed as possible,” Zhang said. “I’m really enjoying it and for the most part I think there is always learning curves. So no matter what happens the next two days I’m going to take it all in. We’ll see what happens, because we just have to grind it out.”
Zhang held a twostroke lead over Madelene Sagstrom after the opening round. The Swede, who finished third here two years ago and 10th last year, had an afternoon tee time.
Lydia Ko, who needs a win to qualify for the Hall of Fame, was 4-under after a 71 Friday. Leona Maguire of Ireland went from a 66 to 76 on the second day and Stephanie Kyriacou of Australia was 13 shots worse with a second-round 79.