Peiyun Chien surges to big lead at LPGA’s Kroger Queen City Championship

MADEIRA, Ohio − Despite battling an illness and missing the cut in three of her last four events, Peiyun Chien caught fire the first two days of the Kroger Queen City Championship and now sits at the summit of the leaderboard going into the weekend.

Chien, who was 6 under after a 66 in Thursday’s opening round, logged an eagle on the sixth hole Friday.

“The eagle was amazing. I was thinking maybe it would go in because I have a lot of shots (that) almost went in over the last couple weeks, but I’m still waiting for an eagle,” Chien said. “It just happened, so I’m very happy.”

The 32-year-old parlayed that long-awaited eagle with five birdies on the back nine to move atop the leaderboard with a Frida 64 and a two-day total of 130. At 14 under, she leads three golfers by four shots.

She missed the fairway on 17 but got out of the rough and onto the green before sinking a long birdie putt. On the 18th hole, where she suffered her only bogey in the first round, Chien knocked in another long birdie putt to close out a round of 64, her lowest round on the LPGA this year.

“I’ve just putted very well these two days,” Chien said. “I always change my putter. If anyone knows me, I change every week, but I’ve kept the same putter already in eight tournaments, so I’m very happy with myself.”

Chien is 14 strokes better than her 140 two-round total in last year’s inaugural Kroger Queen City Championship, when she missed the cut.

“Last year (in Cincinnati) I didn’t play well because we didn’t have any practice rounds,” Chien said after the first round on Thursday. “I have a lot of notes (for this year) to know how to play the greens.”

Chien missed the cut three times in her last four events but did finish eighth at the ISPS Honda World Invitational in August. Chien, who is ranked 60th in the CME Rankings, is searching for her fourth top-10 finish this season and first career LPGA victory.

“Just every shot, one thing at a time. I really want to play well in America and go back to Asia and play the Asian Games for my country,” Chien said.

Three-way tie for second

World No. 2 Ruoning Yin shot a 6-under 66 to climb to second place after round 2. Yin, 20, posted a bogey-free round and birdied two of the final three holes for her score. If she finishes in the top four this week, she will jump to No. 1 in the Rolex Rankings.

“I will make birdie as much as I can. Just try and stay with the same strategy and stick with my game,” Yin said of the next rounds. “I think I will be fine.”

Tied with Yin at second are Morgane Metraux and Ruixin Liu. Liu, who led the field after day one on Thursday, shot a 3-under 69 Friday as the field caught up to her impressive 7-under start.

After two bogeys on the back nine Thursday, Yuka Saso, ranked No. 15, is back in the mix at Kenwood after carding seven birdies through her first 12 holes. Saso is tied for fifth with England’s Charley Hull.

Saso, a 22-year-old who has seven top-10 finishes this year, shot a 32 on the front nine and opened the back with three consecutive birdies. After a bogey on the 13th hole, Saso finished out her round with five straight pars to move to 9 under for the week.

“I think my putting was better today than yesterday,” Saso said. “My longest putt that I made, probably seven paces. Not too far. I think I gave myself good chances today and got the chances, too.”

Hataoka shoots best score of the day

Japan’s Nasa Hataoka, CME’s No. 24-ranked golfer, shot a field-best 9-under 63 on Friday. Hataoka’s bogey-free round started about ideally as possible with birdies on four of the first five holes.

The 24-year-old with six LPGA victories already to her name shot a 1-over 73 in round one on Thursday. Starting in 88th place and jumping to a tied for seventh means Hataoka made the biggest leap of the field in the standings Friday, while also shooting the best single round thus far in Cincinnati.

Spectators watch the action during the second round of the 2023 Kroger Queen City Championship at Kenwood Country Club in Madeira, Ohio. (Photo: Liz Dufour/The Enquirer)

Hataoka tied the Queen City 18-hole scoring record.

“I’m very happy to finish 9-under today,” Hataoka said. “My putting is much better than yesterday. My aiming was a lot off, especially left-to-right line. So I just fixed it after the round yesterday, and it feels good.”

Defending champ in the mix

Ally Ewing, the winner of the inaugural tournament last year, shook off a bogey on the opening hole and sank four birdies on the front-9 for a 33. She shot a 70 on Friday, moving to 5 under for the tournament to make the cut.

What about Hammond?

Fifteen-year-old Mia Hammond, a New Albany, Ohio native who was given a sponsor invite and is the only amateur in the field, missed the cut after finishing 5 over in the second round. Hammond had three birdies and three bogeys on Thursday for an even round, then started Friday on the back-9 with nine consecutive pars. On the front-9, though, Hammond had three bogeys and a double-bogey.

West Chester native and current University of Cincinnati women’s assistant golf coach Marissa Steen also missed the cut with a 5-over 77 on Friday.

Among other notables those to miss the cut is U.S. Open champ Allisen Corpuz.