BOCA RATON, Fla. (AP) — Madelene Sagstrom birdied seven of the first nine holes and shot a 10-under 62 on Friday to take the second-round lead in the Gainbridge LPGA.
Sagstrom birdied the first two holes, parred the next two and made five straight birdies to make the turn in 7-under 29 at rain-softened Boca Rio Golf Club.
"I kept making putts. And I was like, `Is this going to end, or am I going to just keep making putts?''" Sagstrom said after needing only 23 putts.
The 27-year-old Swede added birdies on Nos. 11, 12 and 16, bogeyed the par-3 17th and closed with a birdie on the par-4 18th.
"I felt like I could be a little more aggressive today," Sagstrom said. "The ball was going to stop wherever you hit it in the fairway, so we knew that carry was going to be the most specific thing. And I was really aggressive with the pins. I knew it was going to stop right by the pin if I dared to be aggressive."
She opened with a 72 on Thursday.
"I finished two birdies in the dark and in the rain last night, so it really felt like I was on a good roll," Sagstrom said. "That was kind of the mindset for the whole day."
Sagstrom had a 10-under 134 total for a one-stroke lead over European Solheim Cup teammate Carlota Ciganda of Spain. Ciganda had a 66 in the first official event in Boca Raton since the 1989 Oldsmobile LPGA Classic.
Cydney Clanton, Nasa Hataoka and Jennifer Song each shot 64 to get to 8 under.
Sei Young Kim was 7 under after a 69, and Celine Boutier had a 67 to reach 6 under.
First-round leader Jessica Korda followed her opening 66 with a 73 to drop into a tie for eighth at 5 under.
Hometown player Jaye Marie Green also was 5 under.
"It's awesome," Green said. "Getting home-cooked meals every night by my mom. Seeing so many familiar faces. It's nice to have so much support and to play well in front of them, it was awesome."
She rebounded from an opening 73 with a 66.
"I hit the ball the exact same way today, I just made putts today, putts went in," Green said. "Yesterday. I was having trouble reading the greens, but today I just kind of pictured it well. And a lot of them did, but I also left a lot out there."
Fellow Boca Raton player Morgan Pressel was 3 under after a 69.
"It's been awesome," Pressel said. "It's definitely been a little bit different, maybe slightly more hectic than a normal tournament week. But I'm just trying to embrace it. And to have all my friends and family that came out to watch the last couple days, it's just been really special."
Lexi Thompson, playing alongside Pressel and Gaby Lopez, also was 3 under after a 68.
"It's nice to have the tournament in my backyard," Thompson said. "I'm only about five, 10 minutes away from here. so it's really nice. And to have the support out here, especially being paired up with Morgan. I think she has more support here than anybody. So, it's just great to be out here.""
Lopez, the Mexican player coming off a playoff victory Monday morning in the season-opening Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions, missed the cut with rounds of 78 and 73.
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