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Rachel Rohanna needed a birdie on her final hole to make the projected cut in the second round of the Shoprite LPGA Classic presented by Acer on Saturday.
The Waynesburg Central graduate ended with a bogey on the par-5 No. 9, however, to shoot an even-par 71 on the course in Galloway, New Jersey. Although it was a 2-stroke improvement from her opening round of 73, Rohanna finished with a two-day total of 2-over 144 to just miss out on the weekend. She finished in a tie for 83rd in the field of 144.
Starting on the back nine, along with playing partners Natalie Gulbis and Maggie Will, Rohanna parred her first 10 holes before taking a bogey on the par-4 No. 2. She birdied the par-5 No. 3 and the par-4 No. 5 to get to 1-over.
Rohanna did best her two playing partners as Gulbis shot a 5-over 76 and finished at 148 and Will shot an 8-over 79 to end up at 160. Rohanna hit six of 14 fairways on Saturday, hit 12 greens in regulation and had a total of 30 putts.
Meanwhile, Jeongeun Lee6 made a 4-foot eagle putt on the 18th hole Saturday to grab a one-stroke lead after two rounds of the ShopRite LPGA Classic.
Lee6 shot a 2-under 69 and completed 36 holes over the Bay Course at Seaview at 10-under 132. She will enter Sunday’s final round for the $262,500 first-prize check seeking to become only the fifth player in LPGA history to win the Women’s Open and the following tournament in back-to-back weeks.
Louise Suggs (1952), Jane Geddes (1986), Se Ri Pak (1998) and Meg Mallon (2004) are the others to have accomplished the feat.
Mariah Stackhouse, who contended at this event last year and finished in a tie for seventh, shot a 67 and held second place with a 133 total in her quest to become the first African-American woman to win an LPGA Tour event.
Lexi Thompson four-putted No. 1, her 10th hole of the round, for a double bogey but recovered with an eagle and two birdies for a 70 that put her into a three-way tie for third at 134 with Ally McDonald (67) and Nanna Koerstz Madsen (68).
Sei Young Kim, seventh on the LPGA money list, and Sandra Gal each shot a 68 and Yu Liu had a 69 to tie for fifth at 135. Marina Alex, who is from Wayne, New Jersey, posted the low round of the day – a 66 – and was part of a group of four 136.
McIlroy makes move: Rory McIlroy shot a bogey-free 6-under 64 on Saturday to move into a share of the lead after three rounds at the Canadian Open.
Seeking his second victory of the season, McIlroy surged into a tie with Webb Simpson (67) and Matt Kuchar (69) at 13-under 197.
Adam Hadwin, seeking to become the first Canadian winner of the event since 1954, was one shot back after a 67. Shane Lowry (66) and Brandt Snedeker (69) were also 12 under.
McIlroy won The Players Championship in March but has not seriously contended since. A victory would be his fifth in a national open, following the U.S. Open (2011), Australian Open (2013), British Open (2014) and Irish Open (2016). His round was tied for the lowest of the day at Hamilton Golf and Country Club with Jonathan Byrd, who was tied for ninth at 8 under.
Wheatcroft misses cut: Washington native Steve Wheatcroft finished the second round of the Web.com Tour’s BMW Charity Pro-Am at Thornblade Club in Greer. S.C., at 1-under par and missed the cut.