Ireland up to third in Espirito Santo Trophy; Leona tied sixth
Ireland are on track for their best ever performance in the Women’s World Amateur Team Championship after moving up to third at halfway in Mexico.
To the surprise of nobody, the Republic of Korea posted a second-round 137 with a 68 from Min Ji Park and a 69 from Hye Jin Choi for a 36-hole total of 275 to overtake first-round leader Switzerland and open up a seven-stroke advantage
The Koreans are seeking their fourth victory in the event having first claimed the Espirito Santo Trophy in 1996.
But Ireland are not out of the running yet after world amateur No 1 Leona Maguire added a two under 70 at Iberostar Playa Paraiso to her opening 72 and Olivia Mehaffey shot a 71 with Annabel Wilson’s 79 not needed.
Up four places from tied seventh overnight, Maguire believes Ireland still have time to make a big move despite being 12 strokes behind Korea on one under.
“The goal today was to try to be under par as a team,” said Leona, who is tied for sixth in the individual standings, just three shots behind leader Choi.
“I had a lot of chances out there that just edged the hole so going into the last two days I will be trying to hole a few more of them and anything can happen really.
“Two good under par rounds from two of us is all it really needs to jump us up there. We will just be trying to keep giving ourselves chances and hopefully a few more will drop in the next two days.”
Ireland's best performance in the event is a share of 11th place by Danielle McVeigh and the Maguire twins, Lisa and Leona, at Olivos Golf Club and Buenos Aires Golf Club in Argentina in 2010.
2016 Women’s World Amateur Team Championship
Mayakoba El Camaleon Golf Club (M) Par 72, 6,295-yard/5,752m
Iberostar Playa Paraiso Golf Club (I) Par 72, 6,167-yard/5,637m
Team scores / Individual scores
1.Republic of Korea (KOR) - 138 I-137 M -- 275 (-13)
Hye jin Choi 70-69--139
Min ji Park 74-68--142
Hyun kyung Park 68-75--143
2.Switzerland (SUI) - 137 M-145 I -- 282 (-6)
Kim Metraux 69-72--141
Morgane Metraux 68-73--141
Azelia Meichtry 73-80--153
3.Ireland (IRL) - 146 M-141 I -- 287 (-1)
Leona Maguire 72-70--142
Olivia Mehaffey 74-71--145
Annabel Wilson 80-79--159
T4.Denmark (DEN) - 151 M-137 I -- 288 (Even)
Puk Lyng Thomsen 73-67--140
Malene Kroelboell Hansen 80-70--150
Marie Lund-Hansen 78-73--151
T4.Thailand (THA) - 145 I-143 M -- 288 (Even)
Pajaree Anannarukarn 74-69--143
Kanyalak Preedasuttijit 71-75--146
Manuschaya Zeemakorn 74-74--148
6.People's Republic of China (CHN) - 143 M-147 I -- 290 (+2)
Wenbo Liu 71-75--146
Yifan Ji 72-74--146
Shan Pan 79-73--152
T7.Austria (AUT) - 146 M-145 I -- 291 (+3)
Leonie Bettel 73-73--146
Emma Spitz 75-72--147
Ines Fendt 73-76--149
T7.United States of America (USA) - 146 M-145 I -- 291 (+3)
Katelyn Dambaugh 72-72--144
Mariel Galdiano 74-73--147
Andrea Lee 74-73--147
9.Mexico (MEX) - 144 M-148 I -- 292 (+4)
Isabella Fierro 71-73--144
Maria Fassi 73-76--149
Ana Paula Valdes 80-75--155
10.Canada (CAN) - 149 M-144 I -- 293 (+5)
Naomi Ko 75-66--141
Madeline Szeryk 74-78--152
Josee Doyon 78-80--158
T11.Australia (AUS) - 147 M-147 I -- 294 (+6)
Hannah Green 74-73--147
Robyn Choi 73-75--148
Karis Davidson 75-74--149
T11.New Zealand (NZL) - 147 I-147 M -- 294 (+6)
Wenyung Keh 72-73--145
Chantelle Cassidy 75-74--149
Julianne Alvarez 77-75--152
T11.Paraguay (PAR) - 148 I-146 M -- 294 (+6)
Sofia Garcia 74-72--146
Maria Fernanda Escauriza 74-74--148
Milagros Chaves 79-74--153
T11.Spain (ESP) - 151 M-143 I -- 294 (+6)
Maria Parra 75-70--145
Harang Lee 76-73--149
Luna Sobron 78-73--151
T15.Japan (JPN) - 142 M-153 I -- 295 (+7)
Nasa Hataoka 71-76--147
Hina Arakaki 71-78--149
Yumi Matsubara 74-77--151
T15.Sweden (SWE) - 148 M-147 I -- 295 (+7)
Linnea Strom 74-73--147
Emma Henrikson 74-74--148
Frida Gustafsson Spang 80-79--159
17.England (ENG) - 147 M-150 I -- 297 (+9)
Meghan MacLaren 73-73--146
Alice Hewson 74-78--152
Gemma Clews 78-77--155
T18.Czech Republic (CZE) - 148 I-150 M -- 298 (+10)
Karolina Vlckova 74-73--147
Katerina Vlasinova 74-81--155
Kristyna Frydlova 82-77--159
T18.Italy (ITA) - 147 M-151 I -- 298 (+10)
Bianca Fabrizio 71-75--146
Carlotta Ricolfi 76-76--152
Laura Lonardi 77-79--156
T18.Taipei, Chinese (TPE) - 146 M-152 I -- 298 (+10)
Ya-Chun Chang 75-75--150
Jo-Hua Hung 71-80--151
Ching-Tzu Chen 78-77--155
21.Norway (NOR) - 147 I-152 M -- 299 (+11)
Renate Hjelle Grimstad 70-75--145
Stina Resen 77-77--154
Marthe Wold 84-78--162
T22.Ecuador (ECU) - 147 M-153 I -- 300 (+12)
Daniela Darquea 71-72--143
Anika Veintemilla 76-81--157
Coralia Arias 82-90--172
T22.India (IND) - 154 M-146 I -- 300 (+12)
Gaurika Bishnoi 75-75--150
Tvesa Malik 82-71--153
Diksha Dagar 79-78--157
T24.Belgium (BEL) - 153 I-149 M -- 302 (+14)
Leslie Cloots 76-70--146
Clarisse Louis 77-79--156
Diane Baillieux 78-84--162
T24.Brazil (BRA) - 149 I-153 M -- 302 (+14)
Luiza Altmann 73-76--149
Lauren Grinberg 78-77--155
Clara Teixeira 76-83--159
T24.Colombia (COL) - 151 M-151 I -- 302 (+14)
Silvia Garces 72-72--144
Cynthia Diaz 79-79--158
Laura Sojo 81-82--163
T24.Hong Kong, China (HKG) - 148 M-154 I -- 302 (+14)
Tiffany Chan 71-80--151
Mimi Ho 78-74--152
Michelle Cheung 77-80--157
T24.Puerto Rico (PUR) - 147 M-155 I -- 302 (+14)
Maria F. Torres 70-78--148
Valeria Sofia Pacheco 77-77--154
Yudika Ann Rodriguez 82-79--161
T29.Finland (FIN) - 150 I-153 M -- 303 (+15)
Emily Pentilla 76-74--150
Matilda Castren 74-80--154
Daniella Barrett 77-79--156
T29.Germany (GER) - 150 I-153 M -- 303 (+15)
Esther Henseleit 76-76--152
Sophie Hausmann 74-78--152
Antonia Eberhard 77-77--154
T29.South Africa (RSA) - 148 M-155 I -- 303 (+15)
Ivanna Samu 74-77--151
Cara Gorlei 74-78--152
Kaleigh Telfer 79-82--161
T32.France (FRA) - 152 M-152 I -- 304 (+16)
Agathe Laisne 76-76--152
Mathilda Cappeliez 76-76--152
Pauline Roussin-Bouchard 85-82--167
T32.Netherlands (NED) - 149 M-155 I -- 304 (+16)
Dewi Weber 73-77--150
Zhen Bontan 77-78--155
Roos Haarman 76-85--161
34.Scotland (SCO) - 156 I-149 M -- 305 (+17)
Jessica Meek 76-75--151
Rachael Taylor 80-74--154
Connie Jaffrey 81-81--162
35.Peru (PER) - 152 M-154 I -- 306 (+18)
Lucia Gutierrez 76-77--153
Maria Salinas Valle 76-79--155
Micaela Farah 79-77--156
T36.Argentina (ARG) - 159 M-148 I -- 307 (+19)
Ela Anacona 78-73--151
Magdalena Simmermacher 83-75--158
Agustina Zeballos 81-83--164
T36.Russian Federation (RUS) - 159 I-148 M -- 307 (+19)
Sofia Anokhina 78-73--151
Sofya Morozova 81-75--156
Vera Markevich 84-80--164
38.Slovakia (SVK) - 157 M-151 I -- 308 (+20)
Natalia Heckova 80-74--154
Lea Klimentova 79-77--156
Laila Hrindova 78-81--159
39.Guatemala (GUA) - 159 I-150 M -- 309 (+21)
Lucia Polo 80-73--153
Valeria Mendizabal 79-79--158
Pilar Echeverra 85-77--162
T40.Turkey (TUR) - 156 I-154 M -- 310 (+22)
Selin Timur 76-75--151
Tugce Erden 80-79--159
Sena Ersoy 82-82--164
T40.Venezuela (VEN) - 157 I-153 M -- 310 (+22)
Valentina Gilly 79-76--155
Stephanie Gellini 78-77--155
Nicole Ferre 80-82--162
42.Wales (WAL) - 157 I-155 M -- 312 (+24)
Chloe Williams 78-79--157
Katherine O'Connor 83-76--159
Megan Lockett 79-86--165
43.Chile (CHI) - 159 I-154 M -- 313 (+25)
Maria Jose Hurtado 75-79--154
Isidora Nilsson 84-75--159
Natalia Villavicencio 88-83--171
44.Poland (POL) - 158 I-156 M -- 314 (+26)
Nastasia Kossacky 80-76--156
Dorota Zalewska 78-80--158
Dominika Gradecka 85-86--171
45.Slovenia (SLO) - 157 M-162 I -- 319 (+31)
Katja Pogacar 78-78--156
Ana Belac 79-85--164
Nastja Banovec 85-84--169
46.Morocco (MAR) - 159 I-161 M -- 320 (+32)
Ines Laklalech 79-76--155
Lina Belmati 80-85--165
Houria El Abbadi 81-89--170
47.Iceland (ISL) - 156 I-165 M -- 321 (+33)
Gudrun Bjorgvinsdottir 79-76--155
Berglind Bjornsdottir 77-89--166
Signy Arnorsdottir 79-90--169
48.Uruguay (URU) - 162 I-161 M -- 323 (+35)
Sofia Garcia Austt 80-80--160
Priscilla Schmid 82-81--163
Manuela Barros 82-88--170
49.Bolivia (BOL) - 165 I-167 M -- 332 (+44)
Daniela Siles 83-81--164
Michelle Ledermann 82-86--168
50.Latvia (LAT) - 165 I-175 M -- 340 (+52)
Anna Diana Svanka 78-83--161
Laila Forstmane 87-92--179
T51.Bulgaria (BUL) - 174 I-172 M -- 346 (+58)
Sofia Seldemirova 85-80--165
Ivana Simeonova 89-96--185
Stefani Skokanska 95-92--187
T51.Guam (GUM) - 172 I-174 M -- 346 (+58)
Rachael Peterson 83-85--168
Kristin Oberiano 89-89--178
Rose Tarpley 92-90--182
53.Ukraine (UKR) - 173 I-178 M -- 351 (+63)
Elvira Rastvortseva 85-85--170
Anna Avdieieva 88-93--181
Daria Horokhovska 99-103--202
54.Costa Rica (CRC) - 183 I-178 M -- 361 (+73)
Ximena Montealegre 92-89--181
Daniela Baudrit 91-92--183
Pamela Calderon 95-89--184
55.Tunisia (TUN) - 185 I-181 M -- 366 (+78)
Kenza Ladhari 84-84--168
Hadia Mansouri 101-97--198
Nour Ben Cherif 115-109--22