Who’s in The Hunt
Hannah Green sits alone at the top at (-7). Green’s been incredibly consistent, with only one bogey to her name through 36 holes.
Ariya Jutanugarn chases her first, sitting three shots back. Jutanugarn has one of the only two eagles on the week at the par 5 7th hole.
Defending champion Sung Hyun Park has been on fire with the flat stick, putting up 50 putts in her first two rounds to sit at (-3). Lydia Ko joined her there as well, rattling off three consecutive birdies from the 5th through 7th holes.
Nelly Korda and Angel Yin are at (-2) a piece, with nine players sitting at one under par.
*All Times Local
Groupings to Watch
Hannah Green (-7), Ariya Jutanugarn (-4)- 12:45 P.M., 1st Tee
Hannah Green has been the wire to wire leader, running on a hot putter yesterday and a more balanced attack at Hazeltine National today. The 2018 runner up finisher for the Louise Suggs Rookie of the Year race is sitting in the lead through 36 holes for the first time in her career. Her best position through 36 holes before this week was at the ISPS Handa Australian Open this year, where she sat in 3rd through 36 holes. She went on to finish T10 in her home country.
Ariya Jutanugarn is in position to break the streak of nine consecutive majors won on the LPGA Tour by different players. Jutanugarn has brought her A game on the weekend before at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, posting a 68/66 pair of finishing rounds in 2016 to finish in 3rd place. She has taken a liking to moving day in her recent uptick of play, carding two 69s and a 68 in her past three third rounds.
Nelly Korda (-2), Angel Yin (-2), 12:27 P.M., 1st Tee
Both Americans are looking for their first career major victories, and Yin her first career victory.
Korda has done her damage on the par 3s this week, shooting three under on them through her opening 36 holes. She’s taken advantage of solid play off the tee, finding the fairway twelve times in both of her rounds. T5 is Korda’s best position through 36 at a major in her career, besting her 10th place spot heading into the weekend at the U.S. Women’s Open this year.
Yin sat tied with Korda for 10th place at the U.S. Women’s Open two weeks ago heading into Saturday, and once again is tied with her at T5 with 36 to go at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. Yin went on to capitalize, charging on Sunday with a four under 68 to move into a T2 finish. It’s her best career finish at a major, besting her T4 finish at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship last year of T4. In the second longest hitter on the LPGA Tour’s last 6 major rounds, she has 11 birdies to three bogeys on the par 5s.
Jin Young Ko (E), In-Kyung Kim (E), 11:15 A.M., 1st Tee
From five over to five under, the World’s No. 1 golfer charged after improving by 10 shots from round one to round two to move within a shot of 10th place. That’s a key position for her, as she trails Jeongeun Lee6 in the Rolex Annika Major Award, and 10th place and up awards points. The big change between two rounds for her was greens in regulation, finding 13 of them in the second round to bolster her birdie chances.
There are seven players who can surpass Jin Young Ko’s position atop the world rankings, and all seven have made the cut: Inbee Park, Jeongeun Lee6, Nasa Hataoka, Brooke Henderson, Sung Hyun Park, Minjee Lee, and Lexi Thompson.
In-Kyung Kim has returned to her first LPGA event since the LPGA MEDIHEAL Championship at the tail end of April, and didn’t miss a beat in her first round. She birdied three holes in a row, the 15th through 17th, to get to (-2). Kim has played the par 5s at four under, keeping the 2017 Ricoh British Women’s Open champion remains in striking distance.
The Cut
The cut line fell to (+5). Notables to miss the cut include 2010 U.S. Women’s Open Champion Karrie Webb (+6), Ally McDonald (+7), Gaby Lopez (+7), Eun-Hee Ji (+10), Bronte Law (+10), and Michelle Wie (+21).
Numbers to Know
568- The yardage on the Par 5 3rd hole, the longest hole at Hazeltine National
67- The low round of the tournament, shot by Jin Young Ko in the second round
15- The number of players under par through 36 holes
1- Number of club professionals to shoot under par, carded by two-time LPGA winner Jimin Kang.
TV Times
The final two rounds of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship will air on NBC. On Saturday June 22nd, play will air from 3:00-6:00 P.M. EST. On Sunday June 23rd, play will also air from 3:00-6:00 P.M. EST.
)
)
)
)
