Defending champion Lauren Greeny holds a 3-stroke lead after round 2 at State Am

BUTTE — For Lauren Greeny, another solid round of golf at Butte Country Club came down to focusing on the fundamentals.

“Hitting the fairways, hitting the greens, making sure my lag putts are good,” said Bozeman’s Greeny, a Montana State golfer. “And then just two-putting.”

That approach of solid drives and approach shots, which gave her some room to maneuver on the green, paid off for Greeny in the second round of the women’s state championship on Monday.

She broke a first-round tie with Corvallis graduate and Boise State golfer Macee Greenwood by shooting a 4-over 75 in the second round, pushing her two-day total to 149. She recorded three birdies and 10 pars in the second round.

Greeny, the reigning State Am champion, now holds a three-stroke lead over University of Montana golfers Hannah Ports (152) and Kylie Franklin (153). Greenwood moved into fourth place at 154, followed by Hannah’s twin sister Raina Ports (158) and Montana Tech golfer Emma Woods (159).

In the women’s Mid Am, Darah Newell Smith leads with a two-day score of 151 and holds a 12 stroke lead over reigning Mid Am champion Jackie Mee (163). The Senior Am is led by Jo Smith on 174, followed by Deb Porcorelli (176).

Greeny now has a chance to become the first consecutive women’s State Am winner since Billings’ Rachel Warren in 2007 and 2008. But she’s careful not to look too far ahead.

“Tomorrow is just another round,” Greeny said. “I’m not really thinking about winning, I just want to do my best.”