With just two rounds left at LPGA Q-Series, one player sits atop the leaderboard. Germany’s Isi Gabsa fired off a bogey-free, 8-under, 64 in round six, bringing her tournament total to 23-under and giving her a four-shot lead. Gabsa made back-to-back four separate times, with two pairs of back-to-back birdies on both the front and back nine. Everything seemed to be working well for the 27-year-old, and she credited that consistency as the reason for her Friday 64.
“If you shoot that low, I think your irons, wedges and putting have to connect together and work out, of course,” Gabsa said. “There wasn't much going on, not many mistakes. It was pretty straightforward and simple golf. I really enjoyed it, and it was fun. As always if you shoot low.”
With her brother Pascal on the bag, Gabsa focuses on spending quality family time on the course. The duo is keeping things light this week, chatting about upcoming Christmas plans. They kept it so light during the sixth round that neither of them realized Gabsa was on a hot streak, 4-under through eight holes.
“We were both in the moment and just taking it one shot at a time. I think we both didn’t really realize how low I was at a certain time. We just kept on going,” Gabsa explained. “I don't see him quite a bit now. He's back in Germany and just comes over for maybe two weeks, so I really enjoy the brother-sister time out there. He exactly knows what to say and what to do in the moment.”
The 27-year-old heads into the seventh round with a 28-hole bogey-free streak. Although she’s in a comfortable position to regain LPGA Tour status for the 2023 season, Gabsa will try to fire off two more low rounds in Lower Alabama.
Three players are in a share of second place, four strokes behind Gabsa. Korean Hae Ran Ryu, Germany’s Aline Krauter and Colombian Valery Plata all walked off the course at 19-under. Ryu, who is just 21 years old, carded five birdies, two bogeys and a lone eagle to sign for a 5-under, 67 on day six.
Krauter, who lit up the course with a 10-under, 62 in round five, signed for a 3-under, 69 on Friday. The soon-to-be 23-year-old had a colorful scorecard that consisted of six birdies, a bogey and a double.
“It was a lot of fun today, but definitely more of a struggle than yesterday. Less putts dropped. A lot of lipped out putts or just short, just long,” said Krauter. “I had a double bogey in there which wasn't too fun. So there were a lot of up and downs, but it was great to follow today with an under-par round.”
Plata, who is balancing the grind of Q-Series and studying for finals as she looks to complete her degree at Michigan State University, was just shy of another bogey-free round. She carded four birdies in her first 17 holes and closed out her round with a disappointing bogey on the last. While it wasn’t the way she wanted to finish the day, Plata was happy with the golf she played at Highland Oaks on Friday.
“I maybe didn't read it as good as I've been reading greens today or it just didn't feel very good,” said Plata. “But it was okay. I two-putted, made 5 and then just walked out. It was a solid round either way.”
Thailand’s Natthakritta Vongtaveelap and Canadian Maddie Szeryk round out the top five, tied for fifth at -18. Vongtaveelap had a strong front nine, carding five birdies before making the turn. Szeryk, on the other hand, came out firing on the back nine, opening with an eagle on No. 10 and a birdie on No. 11.
With just two days of competition left and LPGA Tour Membership on the line, 48 players sit inside the -8 cut line. Most notably on the bubble are Epson Tour winners Britney Yada and Pavarisa Yoktuanwho are both currently inside the top-45 and ties cutoff at T42. American Alexa Pano and Mexico’s Isabella Fierro are on the outside looking in at T48 and -7 overall, alongside five others.
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