Chinese-Taipei’s Wei-Ling Hsu tied her low round of the season on Friday at the Dana Open presented by Marathon to post a 36-hole total of -7 and sit in a tie for fourth. The 27-year-old LPGA Tour veteran shot a 5-under 66 on day two at Highland Meadows Golf Club, hitting 11 of 14 fairways and 12 of 18 greens with seven birdies and two bogeys on the card. The score matches Hsu’s opening round at last week’s CP Women’s Open and her final round at the Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give in June. Her two-day total of 135 also ties the third-lowest 36-hole score of her career which she last shot at the 2019 AmazingCre Portland Classic.
“This is a ball striker's golf course. It's not a long golf course,” said Hsu who ranked 30th in driving accuracy ahead of the week in Sylvania (77.58%). “I think I have really, really good driver. I hit it really consistently so I gave myself a lot of opportunities on iron shots that I was more able to attack the pin. I had really good iron shots yesterday, even better than today. Just didn't make more putts. So I think if I can mix these two rounds and get the balance, I think will be even better.”
Hsu became a Rolex First-Time Winner at last year’s Pure Silk Championship after a seven-year winless drought and statistically, her putting carried her home. She led the field in putting average (28.25) and was in the top 10 in one-putts per round for all four days of play. She’s been struggling with the flatstick so far this season – Hsu is 109th in putts per green in regulation (1.84) and 71st in putting average (30.15) – and said she’s made a mental adjustment that’s been critical to her success on the greens thus far this week.
“I actually really, really struggled with my putting earlier this season,” said Hsu after making just 25 on Friday. “I try to work on a lot of the technique stuff. I always feel like I'm a very good putter and before this year maybe there is couple of putts that I feel like I should work on, so I put many hours in it. But the result didn't come out like I expected. It got to a point I just feel like I'm tired from that, you know, to practice and not get any result. So I stepped back, just take a little break on that putting practice. Kind of just lay back and like putt by feeling.”
)
)
)
)
