Kaneko battles to advance to weekend play

Ayaka Kaneko’s steady swing and touch on the greens were instrumental in another solid round at the Lotte Championship on Thursday.

Yet her tenacity may be the most influential trait in Kaneko making her third LPGA cut in her fourth event of the season.

As in Wednesday’s first round at Ko Olina Golf Club, Kaneko faltered on a few holes early. But she persevered through a roller-coaster front nine to shoot 2 under on the back and finished the day with an even-par 72, leaving her at 2 over for the tournament.

"I just tried to be positive all day and tried not to make mistakes," said Kaneko, who carded five birdies in her round.

The Sacred Hearts graduate will be the only local product to tee it up for the third round today.

Maui’s Shayna Miyajima, who qualified on Sunday, had three birdies and shot a 1-over-par 73, closing her first LPGA tournament at 7 over, the second best score among the players with Hawaii ties.

Michelle Wie’s bid to make the cut effectively ended with a quadruple-bogey 9 on No. 1, her 10th hole of the day, and she finished with a round of 4-over 76 and a two-day total of 10-over 154.

Stephanie Kono also missed the cut with a second-round score of 6-over 78 to finish at 13 over.

After signing her scorecard, Kaneko, who began her round on the 10th hole, had a few of the mistakes that may have cost her an under-par round on her mind.

She had two three-putts among four bogeys in a six-hole span. But she recovered with three birdies on her second nine to get to 1 over before closing with a bogey on No. 9.

"I had so much birdies, but I also made huge mistakes on a couple holes," Kaneko said. "I shot even par, but it could have been so much better."

Even so, her even temperament and corresponding play allowed her the chance to make the adjustments while playing for her third paycheck of the season.

In March, Kaneko, who was born in Japan and moved to Hawaii at age 12, shot a 69 in the second round of the RR Donnelly LPGA Founders Cup in March to make her first cut and finished in a tie for 68th. She earned weekend tee times again at the Kia Classic, where she tied for 71st at 15 over.

In her return to Ko Olina, Kaneko recovered from a streak of three consecutive bogeys to shoot a 2-over 74 on Wednesday, and her run of bogeys Thursday morning pushed her near the cut line at 4 over.

But she shook off a three-putt at No. 18 by holing a birdie putt after making the turn.

Kaneko averted disaster on No. 2 when her tee shot landed about a yard away from the pond on the right side and she managed to save par.

She positioned herself for birdie on the par-5 5th hole and dropped a 6-footer after getting a read from playing partner Belen Mozo’s putt.

Kaneko added another birdie on No. 6 when she landed her approach on the right edge of the green and got a 20-foot putt to sneak in the right side of the cup.

"I thought I had a little too much pace," a relieved Kaneko said.

She got a downhill par putt to fall on the par-3 eighth and left her approach on No. 9 short and settled for bogey to end one round and begin planning for the next two.

"I have to learn from it and hopefully the next two days will be better," Kaneko said.