Luo grabs 1-shot lead over Liu at Liaoning CLPGA

A day after turning 25, Luo Ying gave herself a belated birthday present yesterday when the Guangdong Province native held it together through difficult conditions to take a one-shot lead through two rounds of the CLPGA Tour Tieling Longshan Golf Challenge.

With the wind continuing to blow over the mountainous Tieling Longshan International Golf Club layout, Luo fired a 2-under-par 70 to sit at 2-over 146 at the 500,000 yuan (US$72, 800) China LPGA Tour tournament in Liaoning Province.

Fellow Chinese Liu Yan was second following a 70, two shots ahead of compatriot Sui Xiang who fired a 69 for the low round of the tournament.

Australian Tahnia Ravnjak (77), the first-round co-leader, was five shots back alongside China amateur Cai Danlin (75).

“Two-under par is satisfying because this golf course is really tough,” said Luo, who had four birdies, all of which came on the back nine, and two bogeys for her first 36-hole lead. “I don’t think I made any mistake since the second hole where I hit right off the tee and left an unplayable lie (for a bogey 5).”

Luo, a graduate of the University of Washington golf program who lost in a playoff at the Hengqin Orient Golf Challenge in March, gave herself 90 out of 100 for her performance yesterday. However, she said there was still much work for her to do.

“Of course I want to get my first pro win but you should play each shot one by one and focus on the shot at hand,” said the Shenzhen native who has her Husky alumni Yuan Yechun, winner of the recent Qingdao Championship on the PGA Tour Series-China, serving as her caddy this week. “To be honest, those players within five shots should have a great chance to win.”

Unlike Luo, the second-place Liu said she could not grade her play in a round that featured five birdies and three bogeys.

“I made a couple of mistakes which should not have happened. However, I was lucky to have made some long putts on the back nine,” said the 20-year-old Fujian Province native.

Liu, who played at the US Women’s Open in 2016 and 2017 after winning the China sectional qualifier, said with the difficult conditions this week it would likely go down to the last shot to decide a winner.

New Zealander Munchin Keh, the first-round co-leader, struggled to a round of 80 to fall eight shots off the lead.