SINGAPORE – Even as Danielle Kang, Nicole Garcia and Pauline Roussin took the joint lead on the second day of the Aramco Team Series Singapore on Friday, the trio endured moments of frustration at the Laguna National Golf Resort Club’s Masters Course.
After opening the round with four birdies in six holes, world No. 14 Kang, who started on the 10th, recorded three consecutive bogeys from the 16th to 18th.
She bounced back with four birdies on her back nine but missed the chance to take the solo lead as she wrapped up the second day with a bogey on the last hole to card a four-under 68 for a seven-under 137 total.
Kang, 30, acknowledged the challenging conditions of the course, saying: “I’m just trying to focus on whatever the shot that was in front of me and trying not to think about anything else.
“It’s been a little bit of a difficult week, so my caddie and I have been just staying in our own zone, our own bubble, and we did a good job today.”
After a quick post-round interview, the six-time LPGA Tour winner headed straight to the putting green for more practice.
Kang, Garcia and Roussin are two strokes ahead of Anne van Dam (69), Emma Spitz (69) and Linn Grant (71), while world No. 1 Lydia Ko (68) sits tied seventh on a four-under 140 total.
Singapore’s Koh Sock Hwee (76) made the cut for Saturday’s final round with a five-over 149.
Overnight leader Garcia mixed three birdies with a bogey to post a two-under 70 and keep her spot at the top of the leaderboard. While she expressed disappointment at her putting, she was still optimistic about how the round turned out.
“Today’s round was a bit frustrating, I didn’t make many putts that were makeable for me today but at the end of the day, I’m happy,” said the world No. 201 South African, who also got in some extra practice at the putting green after the second round.
“At the moment, I’m still at the top of the leaderboard, so it was a good day.”
The 32-year-old is chasing her first individual Ladies European Tour (LET) title, but was careful not to put too much pressure on herself.
She said: “I’ll be thinking about winning... But at the same time, I haven’t won on the LET yet, so I’m going to try and keep my thoughts focused on the golf. I’m not going to put all the pressure on the win, especially because I haven’t been in this position too many times.”
France’s world No. 92 Roussin carded a three-under 69 to grab a share of the lead, but noted there were still areas she needed to work on.
She said: “It’s like shots that end up a little bit too far from the pin to have proper opportunities for birdies, then a couple of putts that are almost in but just outside the hole, and then silly mistakes where you forget about the details, which can cause frustration.”
Roussin, who turned professional in 2021, said: “I’m just going to have a good time. My boyfriend is on the bag and we’re just having fun. It’s part of the bigger picture, so I’ll just focus on the work we’ve done and that’s pretty much it.”
The second day of the Aramco Team Series Singapore also saw Christine Wolf’s team crowned champions of the team event.
The Austrian teamed up with South Africa’s Casandra Alexander, England’s Eleanor Givens and amateur Katsuko Blalock to clinch the title on a 29-under 259 total, one stroke ahead of Roussin’s team.
