Yu Liu has felt like a zombie this season on the LPGA Tour. But she managed to kick that feeling of disconnect on moving day at the CPKC Women’s Open where she carded a 67 to give herself a chance to chase down a win come Sunday at Mississaugua Golf and Country Club.

“I didn't expect myself to be in contention to be honest. The scoring was a little higher than I expected. Pins were like I said pretty gettable,” Liu said after her four-under par round on Saturday. “There was a little bit of hiccups here and there, but I think overall I had a nice flow to my round.”

Saturday, Liu quickly found the flow as she made birdie on her second hole out of the gate and then jarred a five iron from the fairway at the par four, fourth hole for eagle to go three-under on her first four holes. It became a springboard for Liu to make another birdie at the par three, sixth hole. She added two more birdies on her inward stretch, offset by just two bogeys over the course of the day to climb into contention heading into Sunday’s final round.

“The crowds went pretty crazy, and then I actually didn't see it because it was -- I was on an upslope there, so a little elevated. It was nice to see the crowds going a little bit,” Liu said about the fan reaction to her eagle at the fourth hole. “I think that hole-out really got the momentum going, trending in the right direction, so I was playing pretty free.”

That sense of freedom and flow is something that Liu has struggled to find throughout the 2025 LPGA Tour season, and she has even described herself as feeling zombie-like on the golf course.

While Liu acknowledges putting has always been a bit of a weakness in her game, when she was unable to lean on her ball striking as she struggled with her long game this year, it seriously impacted her performance. Liu missed six consecutive cuts mid-season and her made cut this week in Canada marks the third consecutive cut she’s made since enduring that difficult stretch.

“Been struggling with my ball striking, and last week I feel like I got the most out of my rounds but I just couldn't really get it going because I wasn't striking the ball well,” Liu said about her challenges this year. “It's just I've been feeling very strange around the course. Just feeling like a zombie, rigid, not being able to play with good flow.”

Monday, Liu felt as though she’d come back to life after speaking with a coach on China’s National Team. Liu says the coach helped the 29-year old recapture the feels she’d previously had with her ball striking, which is an area of her game which she says has eluded her throughout the season. She says their discussion also helped her to regain some of her confidence, which had waned in recent months.

This week, Liu has grown more familiar with and more comfortable navigating Mississaugua Golf and Country Club, which is hosting the CPKC Women’s Open for the first time, and where Liu will have a chance to chase down her first LPGA Tour win on Sunday.

“This is a new course, so I feel like after getting a couple rounds in we kind of start learning more about the course, which definitely helps,” Liu said on Saturday. “I think tomorrow depends on how the rules officials set up the golf course. It will be challenging.”

Liu Kicks Zombie Feelings, Shoots 67 to Climb Leaderboard in Canada

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