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MAINEVILLE, Ohio — Chanettee Wannasaen maintained a two-shot lead Friday in the Kroger Queen City Championship, with top-ranked fellow Thai star Jeeno Thitikul and Charley Hull making big moves.
Wannasaen, the 21-year-old player trying to win for the third straight year on the LPGA Tour, shot a 4-under 68 at soggy TPC River’s Bend to reach 13-under 131. She opened with a 63.
“I just want me to play like this,” Wannasaen said. “I not think about the score. I just want hit driver like this, hit iron like this. I just want to enjoy with the golf again.”
Thitikul and Hull were tied for second with Olivia Cowan.
Wannasaen holed out for eagle on a par-4 for the second straight day, this time on the 13th — her fourth hole of of the day. She did it on No. 10 in the first round.
“Exactly like the same, but I didn’t see the ball like get in,” she said.
The 22-year-old Thitikul had a 64, making four straight birdies in a back-nine 30. She won the Mizuho Americas Open in June at Liberty National for her fifth LPGA Tour victory.
“Pretty much I think trying to make putts for sure here,” Thitikul said. “I mean, like the green, it’s not easy. It’s so slopey. And then you need to judge the putt really perfectly to roll it in the hole.”
Hull eagled the par-5 11th and birdied the final two holes for a 65. The English player is coming off a runner-up finish in Houston as part of the Aramco series on the Ladies European Tour.
“I’m just firing at the pin pretty much,” Hull said. “I like going at the pins. I find it boring otherwise.”
Cowan, from Germany, matched Hull with a 65. Maja Stark (66), Sei Young Kim (68) and Gigi Stoll (69) were 10 under.
Second-ranked Nelly Korda topped the group at 9 under after a 68. She’s winless this season.
“You just have to really stay aggressive,” Korda said. “The greens are pretty soft so you can, but hitting fairways, hitting greens is the key to eventually having a putt.”
Defending champion Lydia Ko shot 69 to get to 5 under.
Alison Lee missed the cut in her first event since giving birth to a boy in April, shooting 76-73.
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