LDN - Sports

Piller maintains lead at Marathon Classic

[July 22, 2017] (The Sports Xchange) - Gerina Piller is halfway to her first LPGA Tour victory.

Piller shot a 3-under-par 68 on Friday and took a one-stroke lead over four players after two rounds of the Marathon Classic Presented by Owens Corning and O-I in Sylvania, Ohio.

At 11-under 131 after 36 holes, Piller is just ahead of Lexi Thompson, Nelly Korda, Kim In-kyung of South Korea and Chien Peiyun of Taiwan.

Norda moved into contention with a sizzling 64, Thompson posted a 65, Kim carded a 67 and Chien shot a 68 at Highland Meadows Golf Club.

Piller, who opened with a 63 on Thursday, started on the back nine and had one birdie before the turn. After a bogey at the par-3 second hole, she ran off a string of three successive birdies on par-4 holes and then made pars the rest of the way.

"I feel like I was pretty steady. I kind of had a par streak going there," she said. "But I gave myself chances for birdie, and at that point, you've just got to be patient, and there's some birdie holes out there."

Piller knows there is still a long way to go before she can claim her first win on the LPGA Tour. She has four runner-up finishes during her eight-year career.

"Well, it's only Friday, so I wouldn't put the cart before the horse, but to get that first win I think would be really special, no matter where it is," said Piller, who is No. 25 in the Rolex World Rankings.

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Gerina Piller (USA) of the United States watches her tee shot on the 15th hole during second round women's Olympic golf competition.REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

Thompson started on the back side and bogeyed her third hole before a run of three straight birdies and five of the next six to finish the front nine. She began her second nine with a bogey before adding three straight birdies en route to her 65.

"It's definitely been a bit of an up-and-down year, but I've been playing some great golf," Thompson said, whose 36-hole total was the second lowest of her career.

Tour rookie Aditi Ashok (68) of India is in sixth place at 9-under 133 and U.S. Women's Open champion Park Sung-hyun (70) is tied for seventh at 8-under 134.

(Compiled by Peter Rutherford)

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