Miranda Wang, who would lead the field to green, went on to win the rain-delayed FM Championship. She wrapped up her second round with an impressive 5-under 67. This dazzling round earned her a two-shot cushion on other players who had finished their rounds. Regardless of how well each player adjusted and thrived over the rising winds, hidden currents and unexpected cold were real opponents at this year’s tournament.
Less than two weeks ago, Jeeno Thitikul became the No. In the second round, this is where she really set herself apart. She had just an amazing finish to her back nine with four birdies. This early momentum helped her to put herself in a strong place as one of the leaders. Hannah Green finished her second round with three consecutive birdies but acknowledged the mental strain brought by the weather delays, stating, “I don’t think I could have mentally prepared myself for another delay.”
Wang’s superb play was underscored by an incredible tally of 16 birdies in just 36 holes of play. Madelene Sagstrom became a bit of a story, too, with her own brilliant 66, putting her at 9-under 135 on the weekend. Azahara Munoz and Celine Borge lurked a shot back of Green. In addition, Miyu Yamashita and Jodi Ewart Shadoff were four shots back of co-leaders. Ewart Shadoff set the event in motion with a stunning display. She capped the first round by making four consecutive birdies and began her second round with eight birdies over her first nine holes.
In a surprise move, Lauren Coughlin — the defending champion — found herself struggling as the tournament went on. On the other hand, Korda hadn’t won this year yet and was going to face 32 holes on Saturday.
Stern conditions Weather would turn out to be the most prominent backstory through the entirety of the championship. Wang remarked on the unexpected nature of the conditions, saying, “I didn’t expect the weather because on the forecast we didn’t see any thunderstorms coming in this morning. Well, that’s golf.” Jeeno Thitikul faced the pressure of time as she recounted an encounter with a security guard who urged players to hurry: “The security guard told us … three minutes left, so run, ready and go.”
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