Nelly Korda stays on monitor to tie an LPGA Tour report along with her fifth straight win as she contend’s on the 12 months’s opening main whereas Australia’s greatest names Minjee Lee and Hannah Inexperienced made early exits.
World No.1 Korda shot a three-under 69 second spherical to get to seven beneath on the Chevron Championship in Texas on Friday, leaving her one shot behind joint leaders Atthaya Thitikul (67) and Jin Hee Im (67) on the midway level.
Steph Kyriacou was the main Australian, 5 photographs from the lead after a 69, whereas Gabriela Ruffels slipped to 2 beneath after a 73 to be one shot forward of Sarah Kemp (73) whereas Robyn Choi (73) and Karis Davidson (74) scraped by the reduce at two over.
However world No.5 Lee endured a dismal week, posting a 77 to overlook the reduce at seven over, together with fellow main winner Inexperienced (72, 5 over) and teen Grace Kim (72, 4 over).
Kyriacou, 23, has two prime 10 finishes in majors and believes she will step up this weekend.
“Up to now I’ve sort of acquired afraid of being within the highlight,” Kyriacou instructed LPGA Media.
“This weekend I will embrace it a bit extra and attempt to do what I did the final couple of days.”
The 25-year-old Korda started the day two photographs off the lead after opening with a 68 at Carlton Woods and made a double bogey on the opening gap however rallied with six birdies.
Korda is looking for her second main after profitable the Girls’s PGA Championship in 2021.
She might be a part of Nancy Lopez (1978) and Annika Sorenstam (2004-05) as the one gamers to win 5 consecutive LPGA occasions.
She was requested if it felt inevitable that she’d tie the report after her latest run of success and powerful play within the first two rounds.
“I am simply on the midway level proper now. The quantity of golf that I’ve performed, I nonetheless have that to go,” she mentioned. “There’s nonetheless lots of golf left and something can occur. Simply going to stay to my course of and vibe with … what my coach says.”
With elevated consideration on this event due to Korda’s string of titles, what would the 25-year-old like individuals who is likely to be seeing her first time this weekend to learn about her?
“That I simply by no means quit,” she mentioned. “It doesn’t matter what, regardless of how a lot adversity is thrown your means, they know that I by no means quit and I give it my all.”
Thitikul, a 21-year-old from Thailand who has gained twice on the LPGA Tour, missed the start of this season with a thumb harm. She made six birdies and one bogey on Friday.
Im is in her first season on the LPGA Tour after taking part in the Korean LPGA since 2018. She had a bogey-free 67.
Former world No.1 Lydia Ko, who gained this event in 2016 at Mission Hills within the California desert, shot 71 and was a part of an enormous group 4 photographs again. She missed the reduce final 12 months within the Chevron’s first season in Texas.
