Blanca Fernández (PAR) has delivered a very good card of 70 strokes at the Crossing course in Alabama, during the second day of the LPGA Tour Qualifying School Final, and has positioned herself just a step away from securing the cards for next year. It has been a significant leap in the rankings. As you know, the top 25 and ties after the fifth day will be awarded the American circuit card. Before that, after the fourth round, there will be a cut set at the top 70 and ties. Blanca now has a comfortable cushion of four strokes above the cut.
The Madrid golfer, who finished her studies this year at Texas A&M University, has signed off on a solid day of golf, with three birdies and a solitary bogey. She faced few challenges and resolved those she encountered effectively. She is now in the 31st position, just a step away from that top 25, set at one under par.
Another notable name today from a Spanish perspective is Julia López (+1). The Malaga native was plummeting in the rankings. In fact, she found herself at +5, far from the top 25 and with the cut looming. But we know how the Malaga native is when she catches fire. And that’s what she did in the final stretch of the Falls course. She finished with four birdies in the last five holes and went from fighting for the cut to being just two steps away from the card. That finish should give her confidence for the next three days.
From here on, it’s time to endure. Azahara Muñoz (+3) had a bad day today at the Falls course. She shot 74 strokes and lost positions in the rankings. Her round started off on the wrong foot with an initial bogey on the 12th and a sequence of bogey and double bogey on holes 16 and 17. However, from that point on, she improved significantly and managed to play under par for the last ten holes, with two birdies and a bogey. She is eager to fight and certainly won’t be the one to give up.
Carla Tejedo (+5) is just outside the cut at the moment. She had a strange round at the Crossings course. She started with nine consecutive pars, and we know what happens: either it breaks for birdie or for bogey. In the Valencian’s case, it was two consecutive bogeys on holes 1 and 2. She responded with a birdie but finished with a bogey on the 8th. Carla needs to increase her birdie production in the coming days. She has three in 36 holes, a meagre harvest. She needs the putts to start dropping. There is room. There are two more days until the cut and three until these Q Series conclude.
As for the lead, China’s Yu Liu (-14) has practically secured the card with a second round of 67 strokes. It’s true that there’s still a long way to go, but she has a seven-stroke lead over the second place and thirteen over the 25th position. Incredible. At the top are María Fassi, Manon de Roey, and Pauline Roussin-Bouchard.
