The second round of the Four Winds Invitational was filled with drama. South Bend Country Club tested every athlete that teed it up, and only some athletes were able to rise above, including the 54-hole leader, Yahui Zhang. The 18-year-old signed for the second-lowest round of the day, a 4-under 68, and claims the key was to think about nothing else besides the ball in front of her. She leads Brooke Matthews and the rest of the field by one shot at 9-under.

"I think on the front nine, I was thinking about hitting it in the fairway, hitting on the green and putting it in," said Zhang. "I like that feeling, thinking about nothing else, just about my swing and my ball and care about nothing else."

Zhang is 9th in the Race for the Card rankings, a system that determines who earns their LPGA Tour card for the following season. Winning in South Bend on Sunday would significantly boost her chances. With six top-10 finishes so far on the Epson Tour season, the rookie has earned 860.316 points and leads the Epson Tour membership in top-10 finishes. The People's Republic of China native has proven she belongs on the big stage, making her name known early in her professional career.

"I'm just trying to get the LPGA Tour card," said Zhang. "That's the final goal this year, to get the LPGA tour card, so I'll just do what I can for it."

Trailing behind Zhang is Brooke Matthews at 8-under, who has also seen her share of top finishes this year. The 26-year-old has found herself in the top 10 four times this season, with her best result being T2 at the FireKeepers Casino Hotel Championship.

Matthews' 1-under, second-round scorecard saw five birdies, two bogeys and a double bogey, which wasn't in the Arkansas native's plans for the day. Despite a tough start, she was able to finish strong and walk off the course in good spirits.

"It's definitely not the dream start, being 3-over through 3, but it was where I was at," said Matthews. "I just was like, you know what? If we can get it back to even par and then try to do something that's great. Obviously, the days that you're taking it deep are a little bit more fun, but I think these are the rounds that really matter at the end of the season. It's not always pretty out there, but I was happy that I was able to put something together and stay near the top."

A total of 61 players made the cut at 2-over, including University of Notre Dame alumnae Becca Huffer and Lauren Beaudreau. The final round will begin at 8:00 a.m. local time.

ABOUT THE LEADER

Yahui Zhang takes charge with a second-round 4-under, 68

She is 9-under through 54 holes
The 18-year-old has six top-10 finishes during her rookie year
Her best Epson Tour finish in 2024 is 2nd at the Otter Creek Championship
She lost in a playoff to Savannah Vilaubi
She is 9th in the Race for the Card rankings

THINGS TO KNOW

Juliana Hung had the round of the day at 5-under

Her scorecard saw eight birdies and a triple bogey
She is tied for eighth
The 22-year-old won the 2024 IOA Championship presented by Morongo Casino Resort and Spa
She is 15th in the Race for the Card rankings

Clariss Guce’s second-round 4-under, 68 moved her from T25 to T5

Her scorecard saw five birdies and a lone bogey
The 34-year-old's best Epson Tour finish in 2024 is T13 at the Carlisle Arizona Women's Golf Classic
She has made one cut on the LPGA Tour in 2024
- Her best finish is T55 at the Portland Classic

Zhang Eyes Up First Win and Another Top Finish

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