Ocala, Florida, March 6: Aditi Ashok survived the halfway despite back-to-back bogeys at one stage in the second round of the LPGA Tour’s Drive On Championship. Aditi, who shot even par on the first day added one-over 73 on the second to be one-over 145 for 36 holes and was placed T-45th.
Jennifer Kupcho, who played the second round with a migraine on the second nine, and Austin Ernst each shot their second straight 5-under 67 each to share the second-round lead.
Aditi, starting on 10th went through six pars before she ran into back-to-back bogeys on 16th and 17th. But she recovered some ground with a birdie on 18th. A bogey on second made things tense again, before she birdied fifth to make her passage into the weekend safe.
Kupcho, the 23-year-old former NCAA champion, had six birdies and a bogey at Golden Ocala. Ernst had a bogey-free round. She has two LPGA Tour victories.
Carlota Ciganda of Spain had the best round of the day, a bogey-free 65 to get to 8-under and she played alongside Laura Davies, the 57-year-old Hall of Famer, who rebounded from an opening 75 with a 69 to make the cut.
Nelly Korda, tied for the first-round lead with Kupcho and Ernst, was three strokes back after a 70. Nelly, playing with sister Jessica Korda, is trying to win consecutive events and the family could extend the winning streak to three as Jessica Korda won the season-opening Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions, and Nelly Korda took the Gainbridge LPGA last week at Lake Nona.
Lydia Ko was 3 under after a 72. Second-ranked Sei Young Kim and No. 5 Danielle Kang were another stroke back, each shooting 70.
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Aditi starts with even par 72, lies 41st as Nelly Korda leads again on LPGA
