Zhang solves tough South Bend C.C. for second-round lead at Four Winds Invitational

SOUTH BEND – China’s Yahui Zhang managed a morning four-under 68 in the second round of the Epson Tour’s $262,500 Four Winds Invitational on a day that the venerable South Bend Country Club course showed its teeth.

After surrendering 36 sub-par rounds in Friday’s first round led by an eight-under 64 round by Lindsey McCurdy, the par-72, 6,414-yard design by George O’Neil from 1916 firmed up Saturday under sunny and somewhat cooler skies, allowing just 21 sub-par rounds.

The 18-year-old Zhang, a rookie who has earned $70,667 with the help of six Top 10 finishes this season, overcame three bogeys with seven birdies for a two-day total of nine-under 135, one shot better than Arkansas’ Brooke Matthews (71), who was one stroke ahead of Lauren Stephenson (70). Alone in fourth place at six-under 138 was another American, Savannah Vilaubi, who shot a second-straight 69.

Day 1: Epson Tour's Four Winds Invitational tees off at South Bend Country Club. Here's Day 1 scores

The 61 golfers who made the cut at two-over 146 will begin third round play at 8 a.m. off South Bend’s No. 1 hole. Zhang and Matthews will be the final twosome onto the course at 1 p.m. Admission and parking are free.

McCurdy, who had six birdies and an eagle in Thursday’s bogeyless round, birdied her opening hole but made birdies at Nos. 5 and 7 to turn in one-under 36. But she triple-bogeyed the 166-yard, par-3 10 ^th hole and followed with a bogey at No. 11. She doubled the par-4 14 ^th and bogeyed the par-3 17 ^th during an incoming six-over 41 for a five-over 77 which left McCurdy tied for 13 ^th at three-under 141.

One stroke ahead of McCurdy were five golfers. Juliana Hung, a 22-year-old rookie from Chinese Taipei, was playing bogey-free golf with eight birdies heading to her 18 ^th hole Saturday, the 316-yard ninth with its severely sloping green. Hung reached the green in regulation but then five-putted for a 7 which finished off her round of five-under 67 that left her at four-under 140. Also at that number was 23-year-old Epson Tour newcomer Lauren Beaudreau, a former standout for Notre Dame from Marco Island, Fla.  Beaudreau followed her four-under 68 professional debut Friday with an even-par round of 72 thanks to a birdie on the par-5, 478-yard uphill 18 ^th .

Another former Notre Dame golfer, 2012 graduate Becca Huffer, who also opened with a four-under 68 Friday, was in a group of four golfers at two-under 142 after shooting a two-over 74 that included two birdies but a double bogey at the 18 ^th that left her seven strokes behind leader Zhang. The 34-year-old Huffer tied for second at last year’s Four Winds Invitational.

FOUR WINDS INVITATIONAL

SOUTH BEND – Scores after Saturday’s second round in the $262,500 Four Winds Invitational, the 15 ^th event on the LPGA Epson Tour, being played at the par-72, 6,414-yard South Bend Country Club:

135 (-9): Yahui Zhang, China, 67-68.

136 (-8): Brooke Matthews, Rogers, Ark., 65-71.

137 (-7): Lauren Stephenson, Lexington, S.C., 67-70.

138 (-6): Savannah Vilaubi, Downey, Calif., 69-69.

139 (-5): Clariss Guce, Artesia, Calif., 71-68; Fatima Fernandez Cano, Spain, 70-69; Sarah White, Grand Rapids, Mich., 69-70.

140 (-4): Juliana Hung, Chinese Taipei, 73-67; Riley Smyth, Tequesta, Fla., 68-72; Saki Baba, Japan, 69-71; Heather Lin, Chinese Taipei, 66-74; Lauren Beaudreau, Marco Island, Fla., 68-72.

141 (-3): Crystal Wang, Diamond Bar, Calif., 69-72; Kendra Dalton, Wake Forest, N.C., 69-72; Lindsey McCurdy, Kyle, Texas 64-77.

142 (-2): Cassie Porter, Australia, 73-69; Amy Lee, Brea, Calif., 71-71; Maddie McCrary, Wylie, Texas, 70-72; Becca Huffer, Denver, Colo., 68-74.

143 (-1): Kumkang Park, Republic of Korea, 74-69; Annabelle Pancake, Zionsville, Ind., 71-72; Julia Johnson, Oxford, Miss., 71-72; Alexa Melton, Covina, Calif., 71-72.

144 (E): Ana Belac, Slovenia, 72-72; Minori Nagano, Japan, 71-73; Yu-Sang Hou, Chinese Taipei, 70-74; Jessica Porvasnik, Hinckley, Ohio, 73-71; Ashley Lau, Malaysia, 74-70; Jillian Hollis, Rocky River, Ohio, 70-74; Sarah Edwards, Jay, Fla., 74-70; Haylee Harford, Leavittsburg, Ohio, 70-74; Emma Broze, France, 71-73; Riley Rennell, Columbia, Tenn., 71-73; Yurika Tanida, Japan, 71-73; Fiona Xu, New Zealand, 67-77; Kim Kaufman, Clark, S.D., 72-72; Michelle Zhang, China, 73-71; Sarah Rhee, Seattle, Wash., 71-73.

145 (+1): Beatrice Wallin, Sweden, 71-74; Amanda Doherty, Atlanta, Ga., 70-75; Kenzie Wright, McKinney, Texas, 74-71; Christine Wang, Houston, Texas, 73-72; Amari Avery, Riverdale, Riverside, Calif., 73-72; Cynthia Lu, Chinese Taipei, 70-75.

146 (+2): Nicole Lorup, Denmark, 71-75; Hailee Cooper, Montgomery, Texas, 73-73; Mariah Stackhouse, Riverdale, Ga., 73-73; Kate Smith-Stroh, Detroit Lakes, Minn., 74-72; Vivian Hou, Chinese Taipei 72-74; Amelia Lewis, Jacksonville, 73-73; Britney Yada, Hilo, Hawaii, 73-73; Angelica Moresco, Italy, 71-75; Bi Shin, Republic of Korea, 73-73; Samantha Wagner, Windermere, Fla., 73-73; Siri Patchana, Thailand, 75-71; Mariel Galdiano, Pearl City, Hawaii, 75-71; Valery Plata, Colombia, 72-74; Julie Houston, Allen, Texas, 75-71; Tomita Arejola, Philippines, 72-74; Ji Eun Baik, Cumming, Ga., 70-76; Anne Chen, Sugar Land, Texas, 70-76.

Did not qualify

147 (+3): Lauren Cox, Orange, Texas, 75-72; Daniela Iacobelli, Melbourne, Texas, 73-74; Ou Olankitkunchai, Abilene, Texas, 74-73; Sophie Hausmann, Germany, 71-76; Charlotte Heath, England, 71-76; Pauline Del Rosario, Philippines, 73-74; Elizabeth Wang, San Marino, Calif., 74-73; Annika Borrelli, Alamo, Calif., 71-76; Jenny Bae, Suwanee, Ga., 73-74; Marissa Wenzler, Dayton, Ohio, 75-72; Jieni Li, China, 75-72.

148 (+4): Lei Ye, China, 73-75; Vicky Hurst, Melbourne, Fla., 77-71; Kaleigh Telfer, South Africa, 73-75; Alice Duan, Reno, Nev., 74-74; Antonia Malate, Seaside, Calif., 75-73; Samantha Troyanovich, Grosse Pointe, Mich., 73-75; Lilly Russell, Bentonville, Ark., 71-77; Brigitte Thibault, Montreal, Que. 74-74; Carley Cox Pruette, China Grove, N.C., 74-74; Leah John, Vancouver, B.C., 72-76; Chakansim Khamborn, Thailand, 72-76.

149 (+5): Gabriella Then, Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., 73-76; Keera Foocharoen, Thailand, 73-76; Lakareber Abe, The Woodlands, Texas, 76-73; Brianna Do, Lakewood, Calif., 68-81; Pinyada Kuvanun, Thailand, 74-75; Therese Warner, Kennewick, Wash., 75-74; Miranda Wang, China, 73-76; Jiaze Bae, China, 77-72; Teresa Toscano, Spain, 75-74; Michaela Finn, Sweden, 74-75; Marissa Chow, Honolulu, Hawaii, 75-74.

150 (+6): Dorsey Addicks, Big Sky, Mont., 77-73; Alyaa Abdulghany, Newport Beach, Calif., 74-76; Jessica Peng, Chinese Taipei, 73-77; Amelia Garvey, New Zealand, 73-77; Tristyn Stasi, Richmond, Ky., 73-77; Milagros Chaves, Paraguay, 78-72; Alexis Phadungmartvorakul, Bakersfield, Calif., 76-74; Soo Bin Joo, Republic of Korea, 72-78; Jackie Lucena, Chico, Calif., 71-79.

151 (+7): Erika Smith, Orlando, Fla., 75-76; Jennifer Rosenberg, Syosset, N.Y., 77-74.

152 (+8): Amelia Williamson, England, 76-76; Jessica Welch, Thomasville, Ga., 74-78; Maddison Hinson-Tolchard, 78-74; Siyun Liu, China, 76-76; Maria Torres, San Juan, Puerto Rico, 76-76; Karen Chung, Livingston, N.J., 77-75; Jennie Park, Dallas, Texas, 73-79; Gabby Lemieux, Caldwell, Idaho, 73-79.

153 (+9): Madison Young, Canton, Ga., 75-78; Samantha Vodry, Little Elm, Texas, 77-76; Kristin Coleman, Rolling Hills Estates, Calif., 73-80; Emilee Hoffman, Folsom, Calif., 78-75.

154 (+10): Yue Zhang, China, 75-79; Kathleen Scavo, Benicia, Calif., 76-78; Sabrina Iqbal, San Jose, Calif., 74-80; Mikayla Fitzpatrick, Phoenix, Ariz., 75-79.

155 (+11): Briana Chacon, Whittier, Calif., 73-82; Rachel Rohanna, Marianna, Pa., 77-78.

156 (+12): Anne Yu, China, 77-79; Erica Shepherd, Greenwood, Ind., 79-77; Su Oh, Australia, 78-78.

157 (+13): Alexis Miestowski, Schererville, Ind., 76-81.

158 (+14): Yeji Kwon, Port Coquitlam, B.C., 78-80.

165 (+21): Min-G Kim, Republic of Korea, 79-86.

Others: Tzu-Yi Chang, Chinese Taipei, WD; Shuangshuang Fan, China, WD; Dana Fall, Chandler, Ariz., 76-WD.

Sunday’s final round times

Off No. 1 tee:

8 a.m.: Anne Chen; 8:10: Angelica Moresco and Ji Eun Baik; 8:20: Vivian Hou and Nicole Lorup; 8:30: Tomita Arejola and Valery Plata; 8:40: Bi Shin and Britney Yada; 8:50: Amelia Lewis and Samantha Wagner.

9 a.m.: Hailee Cooper and Mariah Stackhouse; 9:10: Julie Houston and Kate Smith-Stroh; 9:20: Mariel Galdiano and Siri Patchana; 9:30: Amanda Doherty and Cynthia Lu; 9:40: Amari Avery and Beatrice Wallin; 9:50: Kenzie Wright and Christine Wang.

10 a.m.: Haylee Harford and Fiona Xu; 10:10: Jillian Hollis and Yu-Sang Hou; 10:20: Minori Nagano and Sarah Rhee; 10:30: Emma Broze and Yurika Tanida; 10:40: Ana Belac and Riley Rennell; 10:50: Jessica Porvasnik and Kim Kaufman.

11 a.m.: Sarah Edwards and Michelle Zhang; 11:10: Annabelle Pancake and Ashley Lau; 11:20: Julia Johnson and Alexa Melton; 11:30: Becca Huffer and Kumkang Park; 11:40: Amy Lee and Maddie McCrary; 11:50: Lindsey McCurdy and Cassie Porter.

12 p.m. Kendra Dalton and Crystal Wang; 12:10: Lauren Beaudreau and Heather Lin; 12:20: Saki Baba and Riley Smyth; 12:30: Sarah White and Juliana Hung12:40: Clariss Guce and Fatima Fernandez Cano; 12:50: Lauren Stephenson and Savannah Vilaubi.

1 p.m.: Yahui Zhang and Brooke Matthews.

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Zhang solves tough South Bend C.C. for second-round lead at Four Winds Invitational