MIDLAND, Mich. -- Jennifer Kupcho and Leona Maguire delivered an outstanding performance in the second round of the Dow Championship, shooting a 10-under 60 in better-ball play. This impressive score secured them the lead in the LPGA Tour's exclusive team event. The duo, known for their rivalry in the Solheim Cup, combined their strengths to achieve a 13-under 127 total at Midland Country Club, following an alternate-shot 67 on Thursday.

Leona Maguire from Ireland shared their strategy, stating, "The plan today was just to give ourselves as many chances as we could, try to get two chances on every hole. For the most part, we did that. It was nice to start off with a birdie and sort of an eagle very early on to get the ball rolling."

Kupcho and Maguire now hold a one-stroke lead over Cassie Porter and Gemma Dryburgh, who led after the first round but managed only a 62 on Friday. The tournament continues with another alternate-shot round on Saturday, concluding with a better-ball round on Sunday.

"Lots of golf to go," Kupcho remarked, emphasizing the need to maintain their current form. "I think just kind of staying where we're at and continuing what we're doing the best we can."

Other notable performances included the teams of Sarah Schmelzel-Albane Valenzuela, Manon De Roey-Pauline Roussin-Bouchard, and Yan Liu-Yahui Zhang, all finishing at 11 under. Valenzuela praised her partner, saying, "It was a great round. I feel like I definitely feed off Sarah's energy. She makes it really easy for me on the course."

Lexi Thompson and Meghan Kang, initially tied for second, dropped to a tie for ninth after a 65, leaving them at 8 under. Thompson highlighted their focus, "Fairways and greens, hole a few more putts. That's the goal."

Defending champions Ruoning Yin and Jeeno Thitikul, both ranked in the top five globally, were 6 under after a 66, showing that the competition remains fierce as the tournament progresses.