The second day of play at the LPGA and Epson Tour Qualifying Tournament Stage I has officially concluded. The field flipped courses for their second rounds, taking on their second course of the scheduled three courses they will play, with the Dinah Shores Course being the only course played twice. The temperature and pressure were cranked up for round two, with everyone trying to get within the top 125 cut line heading into round three while battling with the 100+ degree heat.
Leading the way after 36 holes is amateur Savannah Grewal, who sits alone at nine-under par after a second-round 68 (-4). Grewal has only made one bogey over her first 36 holes played, which came on her 34th hole of the tournament. The Canadian is a former Drive, Chip, & Putt champion and competed in the 2022 Augusta National Women’s Amateur. The University of Clemson Tigers golfer is coming off her best season at the school, claiming All-ACC honors. The elevated play from Grewal carried over into Stage I, where she leads the field of just over 300, but she is not focused on that.
“In all honesty, I haven’t given it being in front much thought, as my main focus is to advance to Stage II,” said Grewal. “My goals for the next two days are just to play my golf game, enjoy the moment, and live with the results as they come. Take things one shot at a time.”
Malia Nam is another player making her name known in her first appearance in Stage I. Nam had one of the best days out of the entire field and moved herself into an excellent position for the next two days of play. Nam posted a six-under 66 to move her to 7-under for the tournament and into a tie for third. The Hawaii native played collegiately at the University of Southern California, which has a history of producing talented players, and Nam is looking to add herself to that list in the future.
“Luckily, I have played Dinah Shore before, but I know the strengths of my game translate to a lot of courses,” said Nam. “My strengths are ball striking and driving. If those two are in line, then I feel like I can take on any course in a sense. I had a hiccup in yesterday’s round that made me finish one-under for the day, but today, I just trusted myself and was able to post a good score.”
The round of the week so far belongs to Benedetta Moresco, who signed for a 7-under 65 to jump over 100 spots on the leaderboard. The new professional felt the nerves in round one, putting up an over-par round that was quickly erased by a hole out on her first hole in round two. Moresco has had an impressive end to her amateur career, making the All-SEC first team and winning low-amateur at the 2023 U.S. Women’s Open at Pebble Beach. Now, heading into the weekend at Stage I, Moresco is in a great spot at T12 to secure her place in Stage II.
“I was definitely a little nervous yesterday; it was my first round ever as a professional,” said Moresco. “Today, I felt super confident. I holed out from like 100 yards on my first hole, so I was like, ‘This is going to be a good day,’ and I just kept going. I just need to focus on what I can control going forward, and that is the gameplay for the next few days.”
QUICK QUOTES
Chakansim Khamborn (-6, T12) on her five-under second round:
“I just wanted to play my own game. I talked a lot with my caddy because every day is a new course with a new challenge. I needed to remember the greens, my lines, and how to play each hole shot by shot. There was a lot of planning, so I am happy with how I have played.”
Sarah Kahn (-3, T32) on jumping over 100 spots on the leaderboard:
“I was like so calm yesterday, like no jitters at all, but I just didn’t put up a good number. Today, I actually felt more nervous. My parents and I came out like a week early to look at the courses and play some practice rounds. I really focused on reading the greens, picking specific targets off the tee, and tried to make sure I had my yardages down. So, today, I was able to execute that.”
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