GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Nelly Korda missed her second straight minimize after successful six of seven occasions, rallying Friday however falling a stroke wanting advancing to weekend play within the Meijer LPGA Traditional.
The highest-ranked Korda adopted a gap 4-over 76 in windy circumstances Thursday with a 67 to get to 1 underneath at Blythefield Nation Membership, the place she received in 2021 at a tournament-record 25 underneath.
“Didn’t play too dangerous,” Korda stated. “Simply powerful week.”
Ally Ewing and Grace Kim shared the lead at 11-under 133. Eighty-one gamers at 2 underneath or higher superior.
Ewing had a 63. She chipped in for eagle on the par-5 eighth and closed with consecutive birdies.
“That was simply fairly regular golf,” Ewing stated. “I really feel like I’m hanging the ball rather well … simply as much as rolling some putts in.”
Kim shot 65. On her opening 9, the Australian rebounded from a bogey on the par-4 seventeenth with an eagle on the par-5 18th.
“Clearly, struggled with the wind yesterday,” Kim stated. “However grinded out a very good 4 underneath after which took my alternatives from a morning tee time at this time.
Two weeks after making a ten on a gap in a first-round 80 on the U.S. Girls’s Open in Pennsylvania, Korda opened double bogey-bogey-bogey Thursday afternoon in robust wind. She started Friday tied for 133rd — 11 strokes behind first-round chief Alison Lee.
“It was simply course administration yesterday with the wind,” Korda stated. “Simply couldn’t play effectively. Total, struck the ball effectively.”
Beginning on No. 10 in her morning spherical, Korda birdied the primary three holes and 4 of the primary 5. She bogeyed the seventeenth and added two birdies on her closing 9.
“I used to be simply making lengthy putts,” Korda stated. “Chipped in on No. 2. Made a protracted putt on 1. Made a protracted putt on 3. Three-putted on 8. Utterly slid my momentum down.”
She capped a record-tying run of 5 straight victories with a serious win at The Chevron Championship, then tied for seventh within the Founders Cup earlier than successful the Mizuho Americas Open forward of the U.S. Girls’s Open. After the break this week, she’s off to the Seattle space for the key KPMG Girls’s PGA Championship at Sahalee.
“I’m very happy with the way in which that I struck the ball at this time off the tee — one thing I’ve been scuffling with this yr,” Korda stated. “This was by far the very best I’ve hit it off the tee, so slightly little bit of positivity going into KPMG.”
Nanna Koerstz Madsen of Denmark and Narin An of South Korea have been tied for third at 9 underneath. Koerstz Madsen had a 64, and An shot 68.
Brooke Henderson, the Canadian who received the occasion in 2017 and 2019, shot a 69 to high the group at 8 underneath. She performed alongside Korda and defending champion Leona Maguire the primary two days.
“It was a lot softer and never as a lot wind,” Henderson stated. “I want I might have capitalized slightly bit extra on a number of birdie alternatives. On the identical time, pleased with 3 underneath and excited to play the weekend.”
People Allisen Corpuz (68) and Lauren Hartlage (69) additionally have been 8 underneath with China’s Jing Yan (68) and South Korea’s Jin Hee Im (65).
Lee was tied for tenth at 7 underneath. She adopted her opening 65 with a 72, making 5 birdies and 5 bogeys.
Maguire was tied for forty eighth at 3 underneath after a 69.
Lilia Vu, a former No. 1 participant and double main winner final yr, was tied for twenty fifth at 5 underneath in her return from a again harm that sidelined her for the reason that Ford Championship in Arizona on the finish of March. She adopted a gap 69 with a 70.
Lexi Thompson, the 2015 winner, additionally was 5 underneath, taking pictures a 68. She has gone greater than 5 years with out successful. Thompson has stated this shall be her final yr enjoying a full schedule.
“Hit quite a lot of nice photographs on the market and made some good birdies, particularly coming in.” Thompson stated. “So, positives going into weekend.”
