RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. — A birdie on the most difficult hole on the course, the par 5 18th, allowed LSU senior women’s golfer Meredith Duncan to make the cut and play the weekend in the LPGA’s first major of the season, the Kraft Nabisco Championships.
Duncan, who had two birdies on the round, followed a 6-over 78 on Thursday with a 3-over 75 on Friday to finish 36 holes at 9-over 153. That was the number the cut fell on after 36 holes and 75 players, including Duncan, advanced to play on Saturday and Sunday at the Mission Hills Country Club’s Diana Shore Championship Course.
Liselotte Neumann, shooting a 2-under 70 on Friday, is the halfway leader at 5-under par 139 (69-70). She has a two shot lead over Beth Daniels, Rosie Jones and Annika Sorenstam, all at 3-under par.
Five of the six amateurs who received sponsor’s exemptions made the cut for the weekend. The exception was U. S. Junior Champion Nicole Perrot, who lost to Duncan in the finals of the U. S. Amateur competition last August.