NORTON, Mass. — Megan Khang wore a vivid fuschia quarter-zip and a white visor that made her simple to identify from wherever. The massive crowds following her round TPC Boston have been a fairly sturdy giveaway, too.
Khang headlined a trio of native golf stars, who drew giant crowds Friday morning within the second spherical of the inaugural FM Championship at TPC Boston in Norton, Mass. The Brockton, Mass., native starred in one in all three consecutive groupings that includes native abilities, sandwiched between Alison Walshe of Westford and Foxboro native Alexa Pano.
Khang unsurprisingly fared the very best of the three, capturing an up-and-down 1-under 71.
The No. 21-ranked participant within the Rolex Rankings began on the again 9, erasing a bogey on the opening tenth to play the following seven holes at 4-under. She gave one again on the par-5 18th and struggled on the third and fourth with bogey and double bogey, respectively. She turned issues on down the stretch, with birdies on her remaining two holes to get in the home at 3-under.
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The native trio gave the hometown followers one thing to cheer about on the thrilling stretch of holes between the fifteenth and seventeenth. Walshe began it off by chipping in for birdie from in entrance of the inexperienced, and Khang adopted with a birdie of her personal within the subsequent group by throwing a dart from the golf green.
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Pano additionally went pin-seeking within the third grouping however missed her birdie putt.
Walshe and Pano did not fairly have the success Khang loved over the primary two days. The previous at 39 was making her first LPGA begin in years as a sponsor’s invite. After a tricky 80 within the first spherical, she was significantly better Friday. She went out at even par however a triple bogey on her thirteenth gap blew up her day en path to a 75. Pano, in the meantime, will want some assist attending to the weekend after ending at 3-over, one shot off the projected 2-over reduce.
Khang, although, stays New England’s hope for a hometown title, and he or she thinks being in entrance of pleasant faces might make a distinction.
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“It’ll be plenty of enjoyable,” she stated in her post-round press convention. “I’ve plenty of household popping out. It is actually cool having the gang behind you. I believe they noticed I used to be slightly pissed off as properly, however these little type of pick-me-ups all through, going to the following tee, type of helped hold me in a optimistic mindset.”
What makes Khang’s efficiency much more spectacular by two rounds is how she has needed to deal with the expectations and tasks that include enjoying a event near dwelling. She will not be solely underneath the FM umbrella, however Khang has additionally been referred to as on to characterize the tour at quite a few occasions this week. That she’s been in a position to do this whereas nonetheless enjoying high-level golf impresses one of many all-time greats.
“It is not a straightforward job to characterize the corporate in addition to type of be the host. She has dealt with it magnificently,” six-time main champion Pat Bradley informed NESN.com whereas following Khang’s group on No. 1. “She’s simple going, she’s a jokester, and he or she’s having enjoyable with it. She is aware of when to show it on and when to show it off and focus.
” … She has finished a superb job. She’s simple to love, and he or she’s simple to look at.”
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If Thursday and Friday have been any indication, there shall be no scarcity of native golf followers leaning that this weekend.
