Megha Ganne hits from the seventh fairway during the second round of the U.S. Women’s Open on Friday in San Francisco. Jeff Chiu/Associated Press
SAN FRANCISCO — The calculus homework awaiting Megha Ganne might have to wait a couple more days to get done. The 17-year-old amateur has more pressing business this weekend at the U.S. Women’s Open.
Ganne followed up a strong opening round by shooting an even-par 71 in the second round at the Olympic Club on Friday and heads into the weekend two shots off the pace set by fellow teenager Yuka Saso.
Ganne, a high school junior from New Jersey, held the lead after the morning rounds, only to watch the 19-year-old Saso from the Philippines pass her with birdies on two of the last four holes. Ganne hopes that will buy her some extra time on that calculus homework, and a shoutout on Twitter from New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy could help her cause.
“I don’t know how I’m going to manage to fit that into my schedule in the next few days,” she said. “Hopefully, my teacher gives me a little bit more time to do that. It’s hard to balance both.”
Yuka Saso leaves the 13th green after one of her six birdies Friday on the way to a 4-under 67. Jeff Chiu/Associated Press
Saso followed up a 69 on Thursday by shooting 67 in the second round, thanks in part to an impressive par save after a tee shot into the deep rough on her third to last hole.
“If I go in the rough, my mindset is just to go for the fairway,” Saso said. “I mean, it’s really long and sticky. It’s really hard to get on from it. But yeah, I’m glad that I’m a little bit good out of it.”
Jeongeun Lee6, the 2019 champion from South Korea, birdied three of her final four holes to shoot 67 and move into second place, one behind Saso.
American Megan Khang birdied the par-5 17th to get to tie Ganne at 4 under.
“Each day is more exciting, more nerve-racking,” Khang said. “I like to look at it as embracing it because you can’t really shy away from it. You know it’s going to happen. It’s inevitable. I love these kind of feelings, and I definitely for sure know the course is going to give us its best and we’re going to have to give our best.”
Shanshan Feng of China was three back at 3 under after a 70.
Ganne, who needed a playoff just to qualify for her second U.S. Women’s Open, got off to a bit of a slow start with her early morning tee time that brought San Francisco fog, which made the course play even longer than usual. She started on the ninth hole and bogeyed Nos. 12 and 15 before getting on track with a nearly 20-foot birdie on the par-5 16th.
After another bogey at 18, she closed strong by making a long birdie on No. 1 and then another birdie on the par-4 seventh hole that she punctuated with a fist pump. She then spent her time waiting to hit her tee shot on her final hole, repeatedly bouncing a ball on her club, showing few signs of nerves in front of a crowd much bigger than her usual ones as an amateur.
“That was the biggest gallery we’ve seen and she was unfazed by it,” said her father, Hari Ganne.
Ganne’s mother, Sudha, said her daughter has always enjoyed being on center stage ever since playing the role of the Queen of Hearts in an “Alice in Wonderland” play as a young child.
“I love it so much,” Megha Ganne said. “I wish every event I had a gallery watching me because it just makes me play better, I think. And I love being in the spotlight, so it’s been really fun.”
Ganne’s tee shot on her final hole went past the green, but she saved par with a tricky 10-foot putt.
“It was a challenging putt,” she said. “I just wanted to get it started on line. On the hole before that I made a birdie, so I wasn’t too worried if I made a bogey on the last one, but I’m glad it fell.”
PGA: Patrick Cantlay finished his long day with some of his best golf, running off three straight birdies to close out a 5-under 67 and take the lead in the rain-delayed Memorial at Dublin, Ohio.
Cantlay, who played 33 holes Friday, was at 8-under 136 on the refurbished Muirfield Village, where the rough is thicker and denser than usual.
Scottie Scheffler recovered from three bogeys in his opening four holes to scratch out a 71 and was at 6-under 130 among those who completed the second round. They all had long days, having to finish most of the first round in the morning and 18 holes in the afternoon, with only about 30 minutes in between.
Collin Morikawa and Jon Rahm, both winners at Muirfield Village last year in different tournaments held in consecutive weeks, are among those who have to finish their second round Saturday morning.
Rahm was tied for the lead at 8 under through 13 holes, making a 2-foot birdie putt before darkness halted play. Morikawa was right there with him until a triple bogey on the 12th hole.
CHAMPIONS TOUR: Thongchai Jaidee closed with a birdie on the par-3 ninth for a 7-under 65 and a one-stroke lead in the Principal Charity Classic in Des Moines, Iowa.
Thongchai, a 51-year-old from Thailand making his fifth senior start, eagled the par-5 15th and had seven birdies and two bogeys at Wakonda Club.
Dicky Pride and Doug Barron were tied for second.
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