MARKHAM, Ontario, Canada –After starting the day with a seven-stroke lead, Team USA (137-141- 278) continued their impressive play Monday and now leads by 12 through 36 holes in the inaugural World Junior Girls Golf Championship at Angus Glen Golf Club. Mika Liu (70-69- 139) and teammate Angel Yin (73-72- 145) posted a second-round team score of 3-under 141 to extend their lead over host Canada heading into Tuesday’s third round.
“I couldn’t be more proud of these kids; I’m really just their No. 1 fan,” said USA captain Courtney Myhrum. “To have a complete game at the age of 15 or 16 is amazing. Mika, Megan and Angel, they just grind, absolutely grind. They just don’t get flustered. What I tell them is to relax, have fun, enjoy the moment and take one shot at a time. I’m just there to encourage them all the way around.”
Liu, 15, led the way for Team USA, shooting a 3-under 69 in a round that included two bogies, three birdies and an impressive eagle on the 380-yard, par-4, 10th hole, holing out from 177 yards with a 5-hybrid.
“That eagle was amazing,” said Liu, currently the no. 48 ranked player in the World Amateur Golf Ranking. “I had 177 yards from the rough and on a downhill lie. My first plan was to get it on the green. I was between a 5-hyrid and a 5-wood and I decided to go with the hybrid to play it safe. I hit my shot and all of a sudden the Australian coach just started standing up and clapping and clapping. I was like, what’s going on? I got up there and my ball was in the hole. I just took it and kissed it. I was very happy.”
Yin, 15, carded three birdies and three bogies for a second-round, even-par 72 as the second USA score to count, while 16-year old Megan Khang (67-73- 140), the opening-round individual leader, shot a non-counting 1-over 73 to round out the USA team scores.
Team Canada (144-146- 290), led by the world’s No. 1 ranked amateur, Brooke Mackenzie Henderson,17, shot a team-total 2-over 146 and is alone in second at 2-over through 36 holes.
Henderson (70-73- 143) and teammate Grace St. Germain,16, (74-73- 147) counted matching scores of 1-over 73 for Canada on Monday with Naomi Ko,17, (77-79- 156) rounding out the Canadian scores at the midway point of the championship.
Team Denmark (149-143- 292), who began the day in seventh place, posted an impressive second-round, 5-under 67 by 15-year old Line Hansen (76-67—143) to jump into a share of third with Italy (147-145- 292) at 4-over with Spain (147-146- 293) rounding out the top-five at 5 over.
With her second-round 69, Liu takes over the top spot on the individual leaderboard at 5 under, one shot better than her USA teammate Megan Khang. Henderson (70-73- 143) is tied for third with Hansen at 1 under while Ireland’s Olivia Mehaffey (77-67- 144) and Finland’s Anna Backman (71-73- 144) are tied for fifth at even-par 144.