Allison Hanna still hasn’t made up her mind about which golf tournament she will play in next week.
One more solid round at Raintree Country Club, and a winner’s trophy and check could make the decision for her.
Hanna put together a steady 3-under-par 69 during Saturday’s second round to take a two-stroke lead over Dori Carter into the final day of the Symetra Classic.
The Portland, Ore., native made three birdies and salvaged several pars to close with a two-day total of 9-under 135, her best performance since her first and only LPGA Symetra Tour victory in 2009 at San Antonio, Texas.
“It was pretty eventful ... I had three stellar pars,” said Hanna, who opened the tournament with a 66 to share the first-round lead. “But I haven’t had this good of a start in a while.
“I try not to look at the scoreboard ... but maybe tomorrow I’ll have my caddie keep an eye on it.”
And with that, Hanna’s decision on where to play next week – the LPGA event in Prattville, Ala., where her partial tour exemption guarantees a spot in the field; or the Symetra Tour event in Vidalia, Ga.
Should Hanna choose to play the final two Symetra Tour events – Vidalia, Ga., and the season finale in Daytona Beach, Fla. – and do well, she could crack the top 10 in earnings and earn a full-season LPGA exemption, her first since 2006.
Carter, of Valdosta, Ga., who was tied for 16th after Friday’s opening round, charged up the leader board with a 6-under 66 – the lowest round Saturday – to move into second at 7-under 137.
“I’ve been hitting a lot of greens the past few weeks, but not making too many putts,” said Carter, who had seven birdies and a bogey. “I’ve been working on that a lot lately, and today I was making more and hitting it so close that I didn’t have many long putts.”
Nicole Smith of Riverside, Calif., shot a 1-under 71 and remained third at 6-under 138, with two others – Jaclyn Sweeney of Bradenton, Fla. (1-over 73), who shared the first-round lead with Hanna; and Australia’s Jessica Speechley (5-under 67) – tied at 5-under 139.
Among the casualties of the cut – only the top 70 and ties advance to Sunday’s final round – was Cheyenne Woods, the niece of 14-time major winner Tiger Woods, who was making her Symetra Tour debut this week.
Woods, who had an up-and-down day in posting an even-par 72 Friday, was still above the cut line on the front nine Saturday despite three bogeys, including a double bogey on No. 6. But the Wake Forest grad closed with four bogeys, including back-to-back doubles on Nos. 16 and 17, to finish at 7-over 151.
“I wasn’t hitting the ball well today or yesterday,” Woods said. “I know my game is good enough to be out here, but I really haven’t been playing well the last two weeks. I need to get back to the range and work on some things.”
