Stanford, CA- Sophie Zhang-Murphy of Saratoga, California, and Michelle Liu of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, leads the Mariah Stackhouse Girls Invitational after finishing round two at 4-under-par 138.
Zhang-Murphy, started the second round ahead by a single stroke. Starting on hole 10, the senior carded an early birdie on hole No. 12 and added another one on No. 16 to finish her first nine holes 1-under-par 35. Zhang-Murphy went back and forth in her second nine but managed to end the round at 1-under-par 70 to maintain her position at the top.
The senior committed to Princeton University has quite the AJGA resume. Zhang-Murphy has captured Rolex All-American honors twice in 2020 and 2021 along with a Rolex Scholastic All-American honor in 2021. With those accolades comes three AJGA victories at the 2020 UHY / The First Tee of Greater Baltimore Junior Championship, 2020 Under Armour® / Alison Lee Championship presented by Irvine Technology Corporation, and the 2019 AJGA Junior at Palo Alto. Zhang-Murphy is searching for her first AJGA Invitational win.
Liu, who began the day two strokes back made a big push towards the top on day two. Also starting the day on hole No. 10, the 2024 graduate carded four birdies on her first six holes. She would finish her first nine holes at 4-under-par 32. After a birdie on hole No. 1, Liu made her way to the top of the leaderboard and ended the round at 3-under-par 68.
The 2021 First Team Rolex All-American is the reigning champion of this event and searching for her second invitational victory in as many years. Along with her win last year at this event, the 15 year-old has two other AJGA victories coming at the 2021 UHY St. Louis Junior and the 2019 AJGA Junior All-Star at Wigwam. Liu is currently No. 9 in the Rolex AJGA Rankings.
Ashley Yun of West Covina, California, and Leigh Chien of Irvine, California, are T3 after finishing at 1-under-par 141. Chien starting on hole 10, ended her round with four straight birdies on Nos. 6-9. Yun the Northwestern College (IA) verbal commit, had three birdies on the day.
Anna Davis of Spring Valley, California, and Asterisk Talley of Chowchilla, California, sit T5 at even-par 142.
Third round tee times will run from 8:30-10:20 a.m. off Nos. 1 and 10 at Stanford Golf Course on February 21, 2022.
About the Host
Stackhouse joins fellow LPGA Tour players Annika Sorenstam, Alison Lee, Sung Hyun Park, Se Ri Pak, Stacy Lewis, Albane Valenzuela and Marina Alex, in lending her name to a top junior golf tournament in 2021. Stackhouse, the 2011 Player Representative to the AJGA Board of Directors, had an impressive junior career. The four-time AJGA champion earned Rolex Junior All-America honors three times, including a first team appearance in 2011. Stackhouse finished T2 in the 2011 edition of the event she now sponsors.