Ariya Jutanugarn will enter the weekend at the LPGA Volvik Championship with a two-shot lead in search of her third consecutive victory on the LPGA Tour.

“Not really,” Jutanugarn said of thinking about winning three straight. “I mean, right now I’m really happy with it and I really enjoy play golf right now, so I’m not thinking about I’m going to win, I’m going to lose, but just have fun and keep play good.”

Jutanugarn, who is looking to become the first player to win three consecutive events since Inbee Park in 2013, started her day with nine consecutive pars before a birdie on 10 jumpstarted a back nine which saw the Bangkok native tally four birdies to post a bogey-free, 68.

“Today was pretty good,” Jutanugarn said. “I mean, I didn’t hit my iron that good but still okay, and I start to make some putt on the back nine.”

The 4-under round was highlighted by an impressive up-and-down for birdie on the 18th. Going for the par-5 green in two, Jutanugarn sailed her cut 3-wood left into a hospitality suite, which ricochet her ball into a green side bunker. Jutanugarn was faced with a difficult 20-yard bunker shot which she stuffed to a foot with ease.

“I think it hit the stands, yeah, hit the people, but everybody safe,” Jutanugarn said with a wry smile and her dry humor.

Chasing Jutanugan down will be a group of three golfers who sit at 9-under for the week - So Yeon Ryu, Marina Alex and first round leader Christina Kim.

“I’ve been playing really well the last couple of months and just not been able to really capitalize in terms of scores save yesterday,” Kim said. “But I putted like doo doo today, so just trying to stay patient and eventually they’re going to fall in.”

Play will begin tomorrow at 7:25 a.m. off the first tee with the leaders going off at 1:55 p.m.

MARINA ALEX MAKES A RUN

After missing the cut in her first four tournaments of the 2016 season, Marina Alex has been steady and made it to the weekend in the five tournaments she’s played in since the Kia Classic. Alex has been more than steady so far at the LPGA Volvik Championship, posting rounds of 68 and 67 to put her two strokes back of leader Ariya Jutanugarn in a tie for second place.

The Wayne, New Jersey native mentioned that she had been trying to adjust to some changes in her mechanics early on this year.

“I don’t necessarily think I was playing all that bad at the beginning of the year, I was just really rusty,” Alex explained. “I’ve been making a ton of swing changes in the offseason and now they’re starting to feel more comfortable and just kind of everything is starting to feel like it’s mine and I own it, whereas at the beginning of the year I think I was just a little unsure with what I was doing and just not really fully committed to where I was and obviously now I am, so it’s paying off, yeah.”

Alex is the No. 163 player in the Rolex Rankings and has two career top-10 finishes, both ties for ninth place (2015 Walmart NW Arkansas Championship, 2014 RICOH Women’s British Open). She used a front nine 32 to anchor her round of 5-under par and was leading the tournament through Friday’s morning wave.

“Just going to enjoy it and have fun,” said Alex of her approach to the weekend. “Going to just work on all aspects of my game so I’m just going to keep doing what I’ve been doing and see where that leaves me. I mean, there’s really no expectations for the weekend. I just really want to learn as much as I can and just keep developing to get better.”

HOMETOWN GIRL JENNIFER SONG GOES LOW TO MAKE CUT

Ann Arbor native Jennifer Song will be playing the weekend thanks to a bogey-free, second round 66.

“I mean, I knew there could be some low numbers but I just wanted to play free and have fun out here today because I didn’t want to miss the weekend here being the hometown girl,” Song explained. “I’m really happy I made the cut.”

Song, who sat in a tie for 90th entering the day, currently sits in a tie for 18th and will look to improve on that during the weekend.

“Well, tomorrow’s moving day so I’m sure a lot of girls will be aggressive with their lines, but I just want to take one day at a time, one shot at a time and just see how things go,” Song said. “I just want to have fun out here.”

WORKING FOR THE WEEKEND

80 players made the cut at 2-over ,146. Notable players to miss the cut include - Michelle Wie (+8), Paula Creamer (+4), Yani Tseng (+4) and locals Samantha Troyanovich (+9) and Sarah Hoffman (+6).

News and Notes - Second Round LPGA Volvik Championship

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