HONOLULU — On Thursday, Nataliya Guseva from Russia made an impressive showing at the Lotte Championship, carding a 5-under 67. This performance placed her in a tie for the lead in the second round alongside A Lim Kim, Ruixin Liu, and Yuri Yoshida.

Guseva achieved a notable eagle on the par-4 seventh hole, making the shot from 120 yards. Her round comprised four birdies along with one bogey, bringing her total to an impressive 9-under 135 at the windy Hoakalei Country Club.

“I focused on staying in the moment because the winds were really challenging,” said the 21-year-old, who previously played for the University of Miami. “I recognized that anything could happen today; I could either play exceptionally well or find myself missing the cut.”

A Lim Kim, the leader after the first round, faced difficulties, recording a 69 after bogeying her final two holes in the afternoon session. Kim currently holds the 65th position in the Race to CME Globe standings and has only two tournaments remaining to secure a place in the top 60, which would qualify her for the lucrative season-ending event that offers a $4 million prize for the champion.

“I felt like the wind shifted constantly throughout my rounds,” Kim commented. “Some holes went well while others resulted in mistakes. Such is the nature of golf.”

Yuri Yoshida joined the leaderboard with a round of 67, while Ruixin Liu finished strong with a 68, capped off by a birdie on the par-3 ninth hole.

“I managed to play effectively despite the windy conditions today,” Yoshida expressed. Liu added, “I’m quite pleased with my performance today, especially since I played in the afternoon when the winds were strongest. I stayed patient and refrained from overthinking, which can be tempting in such conditions.”

Ryann O’Toole followed closely, finishing one stroke behind with a strong 66. “I really felt comfortable on the course today. Windy conditions play to my strengths,” O’Toole mentioned.

Auston Kim was another stroke back at 7-under after also shooting a 66.