Pebble Beach, California, United States: Tiffany Huang Ting-hsuan was left to ponder what might have been after a series of late lapses cost her the chance of qualifying for the final two rounds of the 78th US Women’s Open Championship.
With just five holes of the second round remaining at Pebble Beach Golf Links, the 2022 Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific (WAAP) champion appeared on course to comfortably make the half-way cut.
But after the highs of an eagle-two at the 382-yard 13th, where she holed out with her approach from the fairway, disaster struck for the Chinese Taipei teenager who proceeded to drop six strokes on the home stretch.
That meant she signed for a six-over 78 and a 36-hole total of 151, suffering the anguish of failing to make it through to the weekend by a solitary shot.
Huang’s woes began with a bogey at the par-five 14th but it was at the 376-yard 15th where the main damage occurred, a triple-bogey seven undermining her confidence.
Although she steadied herself with a par at 16, bogeys at the final two holes saw her sign for an inward 43.
In demanding conditions, all seven Asian amateurs in the starting line-up made early exits – Malaysian Jeneath Wong (153), China’s Xiao Kiali (156), Japan’s Saki Baba (156), Australian Maddison Hinson-Tolchard (158) and Japanese Minori Nagano (159) and Chizuru Komiya (168).
The surprise leader at the half-way stage is Bailey Tardy, a struggling LPGA Tour rookie who had to earn her card via the Q-Series last fall after finishing outside the top-10 on the Epson Tour money list by less than US$2,000 – the top 10 are guaranteed LPGA cards.
Bailey, who had missed five cuts in 10 LPGA Tour events, used her 7 am tee time to full advantage, posting a second-consecutive round in the 60s on the 6,424-yard, par-72 layout.
Buoyed by a front-nine 31, which included an eagle-three on the sixth hole and a birdie on the par-three seventh on consecutive days, Tardy carded a four-under 68 in cool but overcast conditions to match the championship’s lowest round.
At seven-under 137, the 2016 USA Curtis Cup competitor and former University of Georgia All-American leads Allisen Corpuz and 2014 Amundi Evian champion Kim Hyo-joo by two strokes.
Fellow-Korean Ryu Hae-ran (72) is four strokes back, while Leona Maguire (74) and 2021 runner-up Nasa Hataoka (74) were the only other players under par through 36 holes at 143.
