As Lydia Ko sought to turn the season-ending megabucks CME Globe LPGA Tour Championship into a one-woman show, those in pursuit – among them a focused Leona Maguire – kept to the task at hand aware that the final 36 holes over the weekend at Tiburon Golf Club in Naples, Florida, will ultimately determine who lays their hands on the $2 million payday, the biggest prize in women’s professional golf.
Maguire, enjoying a standout season on the circuit which included a breakthrough win in the Drive On Championship back in February, added a second successive round of 69 – featuring five birdies and two bogeys – to reach the midpoint on six-under-par 138 and among those playing a chasing game on leader Ko, who added a 66 to her opening 65 to move to 13 under, five shots clear of South Korea’s Hyo Joo Kim.
New Zealander Ko, number one in the CME rankings coming into the tournament, has been outstanding since she carded her only dropped shot to date in the tournament with a six on the par-five opening hole on Thursday, with 14 birdies already to her name.
In her second round, Maguire bounced back from a bogey on her second hole with back-to-back birdies on the third and fourth but bogeyed the ninth to turn in 36. On the homeward run, she produced a bogey-free run with birdies on the 11th, 14th and 16th to come back in 33 for 138 to move up the field into a share of seventh position.
In the RSM Classic, the final tournament of the year on the PGA Tour, Séamus Power – endeavouring to retain his number one position in the FedEx Cup standings as players head into the winter break – added a second round 68 to his opening 66 for a midway total of eight-under-par 134 at Sea Island resort in Georgia.
Power had six birdies and two bogeys in his round, including one on his finishing hole, to lie in tied-15th at the halfway stage of the tournament with Americans Andrew Putnam, Cole Hammer and Harry Higgs joint-leaders on 12-under-par 130.
“My driving accuracy’s been probably the best in my career this last year, so that’s really helped,” said Putnam of his improved form, adding: “The putting’s back to pretty good like it normally is and my irons this week have been pretty sharp. Pretty much every part of my game has been pretty good right now, so it’s a fun time to play golf.”
Meanwhile, Rory McIlroy produced a dramatic birdie-birdie-eagle finish to his second round in the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai to inject some hope into his bid to add the European Tour’s order of merit title for the Harry Vardon Trophy to his FedEx Cup win on the PGA Tour.
With that double seemingly moving ever further adrift as he battled his way over The Earth course in the UAE, that late magic enabled the world number one to sign for a 68 for a five-under-par 36-holes total of 139, in tied-11th, and seven shots behind midway co-leaders Tyrrell Hatton and Matt Fitzpatrick.
“The first 33 holes were quite average, to say the least,” admitted McIlroy, “it was nice to finish with a flourish and at least have some positivity going into the weekend. I’ve obviously got myself closer to the leaders.”
Although the season-ending tournament provides incentive of its own, there is further glory at play in that it will also ultimately determine who finishes the season as number one on the DP World Tour order of merit with Fitzpatrick’s play through the opening two rounds flipping the one-two positions in his favour over McIlroy.
“I don’t know what the permutations are but, as long as Matt keeps playing well, I’m going to have to play better. It’s a good challenge coming up the last 36 holes at least I feel like I’ve still got something to play for, so I’m excited for that,” said McIlroy.
Shane Lowry, who had entered the tournament as one of six players with a mathematical chance of claiming the points title, added a 70 to his opening round 73 for 143 to sit in tied-24th at the halfway point.
