Mayakoba, Quintana Roo, May 23, 2025.– Repeating her performance and signing a card of 69 strokes, 3 under par in the second round, the American Jenny Bae, is the sole leader of the MEXICO Riviera Maya Open at Mayakoba, with a total of 138 (-6), at the El Camaleón Golf Course that lived another exciting day.
With the same numbers as in the previous round where she placed fifth, the LPGA Tour rookie is in first place at the halfway point of the competition, with a one-stroke lead over her closest rivals.
Bae, 23 years old and 222 of the women’s world ranking, made her round this Friday with 5 birdies (holes 3,4,10,13,18) and 2 bogeys (9,11). With her birdie on the 13th hole, the American player tied for the lead with China’s Miranda Wang with -5, but with a long way to go; on the 18th hole she made another birdie that left her in the lead alone.
Jenny a native of Suwanee, near Atlanta, played collegiate golf at the University of Georgia from January 2019-2023. In her final season, she was named a first-team All-American and received the Juli Inkster Award for top collegiate golfer. She was also a finalist for the WGCA Ping National Player of the Year Award. She turned professional after graduating in 2023 to join the Epson Tour, where she captured three titles before earning her LPGA card. The MEXICO Riviera Maya Open at Mayakoba is her seventh tournament on tour, where she is looking for her first top 10 finish.
Tied for second place in the tournament after two days of play are China’s Miranda Wang, another LPGA rookie, and American Brianna Do, with 139 strokes (-5).
Wang, ranked 225, had a remarkable improvement compared to the first round, which she finished with 74 (+2). In the second round, with a masterful performance with 11 pars and 7 birdies (holes 11,13,14,18,2,5,6), she carded a 65 (-7) and made a huge leap in the ranking. The 26-year-old Chinese player has played five tournaments this season and in all of them she has passed the cut (now six). Her best finish was eighth place at the LPGA Blue Bay held in her country at the beginning of May.
Meanwhile, Brianna Do, who yesterday was one of the leaders with 68 (-4), had a round of 71 strokes, one under, to remain among the most outstanding players of the event. The North American, 860 in the world, this time made 5 birdies, 2 bogeys, and closed with a double bogey on her last hole that cost her the first place.
Five players are tied in T4, China’s Jing Yan, Australia’s Gabriela Ruffels and Korea’s Jeonjeun Lee5, Hye-Jin Choi and Jenny Shin, who have 140 total strokes, 4 under par.
Spain’s Carlota Ciganda had a significant rise to place T10, with a day of 70 strokes (-2), with which she has 142, two under par. The winner of the Lorena Ochoa Invitational 2016, is tied on the scoreboard with five other players.
Those who dramatically managed to make the cut were the British Charley Hull, the best classified of the tournament as 15th in the world ranking, and the Swiss Albane Valenzuela, of Mexican origin, who tied for 47th place, totaling 147 (+3). The English star was unlucky this day with a round of 75 (+3), after the par of the field in the opening round. The same situation for Valenzuela, 84th in the LPGA ranking and who was 13th in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
The cut of players for the last two rounds was +4, so only the best 66 of the 144 players of the field that started, could stay in the fight for the championship. This Saturday, the field will open at 07:20 local time, for the celebration of round number 3.
The MEXICO Riviera Maya Open at Mayakoba will distribute 2.5 million dollars in prize money, with the participation of 144 players from 31 countries.
