Shean shines in round two of LPGA p&g Beauty NWA Championship

ROGERS, Ark. — Arkansas junior Kelli Shean turned in an impressive 4-under 67 Saturday putting her in position to make the cut at the LPGA’s P&G beauty NW Arkansas Championship at Pinnacle Country Club in Rogers. Thanks to a birdie on the closing hole, Shean is one over par for the tournament, which currently has her just inside the projected cut line of one over par. The cut will be the top 70 and ties following the completion of round two.

“I hope it’s good enough to make the cut.”, said Shean following her round. “I gave everything I had out there today. Some of the putts dropped and it was so much fun being out there with my teammates as everyone created t-shirts last night and all the fans out here, it’s just unbelievable.”

Shean, who began her secondround on the 10th tee, birdied the par 4 12th, her third, and par 5 14th, her fifth, as she made the turn at 2-under par for the day. A birdie on the par 4 1st, her tenth, moved her to 3-under for the day until she gave it back with a bogey on the par 3 3rd, her 13th. A birdie on the par 4 5th, her fifteenth, moved her back to 3 under on the round. She had birdie opportunities on the 7th and 8th holes, her sixteenthand seventeenthof the round, but both putts stopped next to the cup, leaving tap-in pars.

Needing a birdie on her last hole, the 351 yard par 4 9th, to give herself a chance to make the cut, Shean came up big. After her tee shot found the bunker on the leftside of the fairway 97 yards from the uphill green, Shean hit a wedge shot that landed on the back of the green before spinning back to within 12 feet of the cup. Facing a slightly uphill putt running against the grain, the Cape Town, South Africa native confidently stroked a perfect putt that rolled right into the heart of the cup much to her relief as members of the crowd broke into a hog call.

“It’s so awesome”, said Arkansas head coach Shauna Estes-Taylor. “We’ve got the whole crew out here today and cheered her on and she just played some solid golf in some pretty windy conditions. Hopefully that will be good enough to get her in and play tomorrow. That’s one of her big goals is to make the cut. Now she can go and shoot some low numbers.”

Former Razorbacks Stacy Lewis and Lucy Nunn are currently playing their 2nd rounds. Lewis began the day at 2-over par whle Nunn started at 4-over par. Both players began their round on the 10th tee.

Angela Stanford is currently the leader in the clubhouse at 7 under par following a 2 under 69 this morning.