Chanettee Wannasaen stepped onto the 18th tee during her second round Friday at the Dana Open trailing Linn Grant and Xiyu Lin by one stroke.
She walked off the 18th green at Highland Meadows in sole possession of first place at 11-under for the tournament.
In between, she sent a sparkling 261-yard second shot onto the green on the par-5 with a 3-wood. Her made eagle putt sent her into the solo lead which held up following the completion of Friday’s second round.
“Today, I think on front nine I played like not good either, but it's like birdie and then bogey and then like par, par, and then birdie again,” Wannasaen said. “So I think today is just like 4-under par for the day is enough. On the back nine, I played really good. The putter is really good on the back nine.”
Wannasaen, a 20-year-old from Thailand making her first appearance at Highland Meadows, shot a 6-under-par 65 on Friday, including a 5-under back nine.
Grant, who won at Highland Meadows last year, charged up the Friday leaderboard with her own round of 65 while playing in a group with Lin to get to 10-under for the tournament. The duo very briefly held the clubhouse lead after their Friday morning round.
“I tried to play very aggressive,” Grant said. “I felt after yesterday that I really had some good game going and hit some great shots. So, yeah, felt like I could really go out and be aggressive. Some holes, that didn't really pay off, but that's golf.”
Grant, a 25-year-old from Sweden making her second start at Highland Meadows, said she feels right at home on the Sylvania course. She had an eventful day with five birdies and two bogeys on the front nine and played the back nine bogey-free at 3-under.
“I think it just reminds me a lot about how I play golf at my home course,” Grant said. “The grass is very similar, the ground feels similar, like how I read the putts is very alike. So kind of brings out like just the joy of playing. And then also that I can play aggressive without being penalized too much when it doesn't go my way. It kind of sets me up for some good momentum, and, yeah, really get the birdies going.”
Lin, a 28-year-old from China at Highland Meadows for the eighth time, was 3-under on her front nine before bogeying No. 11. She responded with a birdie on No. 12 and then birdied No. 18 to finish her second round with a 4-under 67 to also go to 10-under for the tournament.
“Yesterday at the back nine I really found some rhythm and found something in the swing, and I think today I start off really well,” Lin said. “So first couple holes that I parred I have some pretty good opportunities. Then I was — I think this morning was a little more moisture with the greens so I kind of left some putts short. But I'm glad I made three birdies before the turn. And then after I made the turn, there are just a couple bumps. Then I think I did pretty well saving most of par overall. Obviously it's nice to birdie the last hole since I didn't birdie 17.”
LPGA rookie Mary Liu, a 23-year-old from China, shot a 6-under 65 to finish the second round alone in fourth place with a score of 9-under for the tournament.
“I never play this good on the LPGA, so I'm so excited,” Liu said. “I hope I have a good sleep tonight. Just no plan for me right now because as a rookie, I know it's really hard to win the tournament. I totally understand because everyone here works really hard. So for me, I will just hit my shot-by-shot and then just focus on myself, trust myself, and do my best.”
Hye-Jin Choi, the leader after the first round, shot an even-par 71 with four birdies and four bogeys to stay at 7-under for the tournament. Choi is tied for fifth place alongside Paula Reto, Haeran Ryu, Mao Saigo, and Sarah Kemp.
Friday's round was deemed “Lexi Thompson Day” in honor of the popular LPGA Tour pro who will retire at the end of the year. There was a flyover from F-16s from the Ohio Air National Guard at 1:02 p.m. just before her Friday tee time.
Thompson shot a 2-under 69 to get to 1-under for the tournament, on the right side of the cut line which ended up being even par (a total of 80 players made the cut).
“It was a lot of adrenaline and just emotional,” Thompson said. “Huge honor for [Judd Silverman], the tournament director, to allow today to be Lexi Thompson Day. I said no at first because I didn't want that kind of attention because it's about all of us women out here on the LPGA Tour. It's not just about me. We all make a difference. I'm very honored and it was so amazing to see all the great fans around the first hole and then the flyover. That was incredible.”
Toledo native Stacy Lewis shot a 1-under 70 to get to 5-under for the tournament and tie for 13th place. University of Findlay golfer Mary Kelly Mulcahy, a Monday qualifier, shot a 3-over 74 for the second day in a row to finish at 6-over and miss the cut.
Wannasaen will head into Saturday’s round atop the leaderboard and, though just 20 years old, is seeking her second LPGA victory.
The 36-hole lead is new territory for her, though. She claimed a title at the 2023 Portland Classic as a Monday qualifier, starting the final round in Portland tied for second. Heading into the weekend with the rest of the field chasing her is a new dynamic.
“I think right now that feeling is very different, because on Portland I didn't think about like how to win, like that, but right now I think about it,” Wannasaen said. “I think it's a little bit [more stressful]. I think it's fine on the weekend. I do my best.”
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