More mature Mina Harigae holds share of 2nd-round lead at US Women's Open

SOUTHERN PINES —  Ten years ago, Mina Harigae probably wouldn't have responded well to the three bogeys she recorded Friday in the second round of the US Women's Open Championship at the Pine Needles Lodge and Golf Club.

"If I hit a bad shot or a bogey I probably would have gotten upset and it would have affected my next one, two or three holes,'' Harigae said Friday. "But I'm a completely different person and golfer in general.''

The more mature 32-year-old rebounded from those miscues Friday with a birdie spurt over her final three holes to continue leading the 77th playing of the Women's Open.

Harigae produced birdies at holes 5,6 and 8 — she played the back nine first — to finish with a 2-under-par 79. The effort, combined with her opening-round 64, gives her a share of the lead with Minjee Lee heading into Saturday's third round.

It was the second straight day of sub-par rounds by Harigae, whose best previous effort in nine previous U.S. Women's Open appearances was 71.

"Today was fun, but a bit more stressful (than yesterday),'' Harigae said. "Things got a little chalky there, but I was happy with the way I hung in there and made birdies coming in.''

Harigae's patience was challenged when she bogeyed the par-5 first hole to start her second nine. She responded with birdies on five and six before another disappointing bogey at No. 7. But again, Harigae didn't let the miscue affect her. Instead, she birdied the par-4 eighth hole to finish her round on a high note.

"Today when I wasn't hitting some of my greatest shots I was able to keep myself calm and be really level-headed out there,'' Harigae said. "I feel like I have better tools now to navigate these new experiences. As a person, I'm much more mature. It took me a little bit to become a lot more mature than I was in my 20s.''

Harigae now faces a somewhat new challenge with a share of the lead in a major tournament heading into weekend play. That only happened one other time in her professional career when she was tied for the lead after two rounds in last year's AIG Women's British Open conducted at the Carnoustie Golf Links in Scotland. Harigae would wind up tied for 13th in the event won by Anna Nordqvist.

"I'll draw from that experience,'' Harigae said. "So I'm just going to be calm and go about my day. But this is a tough course because it's the US Open.''

Lee, meanwhile, staged an impressive charge at Harigae in the afternoon, registering three birdies on the front nine, including the final two holes to get to 8-under par. A seven-time winner on the LPGA Tour, Lee parred her way around the back nine with her only hiccup occurring at the par-4, 14th hole. A bogey there dropped her back to 7-under par, but Lee birdied the next two holes to draw even with Harigae.

Playing her final two holes of the round in drizzling rain, Lee produced a pair of pars to finish the round at 5-under par 66 for a two-round total of 133 (9-under par).

"I'm not sure how the conditions are going to change or what time I'm playing (Saturday),'' Lee said. "I'll just take one shot at a time because this golf course can catch up to you quickly. I'll just try to take advantage when I have birdie opportunities. I'll just do whatever is in my control.''

This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Minjee Lee, Mina Harigae in US Women's Open lead heading into Round 3