Lin makes late eagle to take LPGA lead in Texas

THE COLONY, Texas — Xiyu Lin of China made a 10-foot eagle putt on the par-5 seventeenth gap Thursday that despatched her to a 6-under 65 and a 1-shot lead in The Ascendant LPGA.

The late eagle from Lin, twice a runner-up on the LPGA Tour this season, took consideration away from Atthaya Thitikul and her bid to achieve No. 1 within the girls’s world rating.

Thitikul gained in Arkansas final week for her second LPGA title this season, and now the 19-year-old from Thailand can exchange Jin Younger Ko on the high of the rating with one other win.

She opened with a 66, together with Lizette Salas.

Lexi Thompson, who has gone greater than three years since her final LPGA victory, had an opportunity to share the lead with a birdie on her last gap at Previous American Golf Membership. She took bogey and needed to accept being within the group at 67.

The eagle was considerably of a shock for Lin, however the circumstances had been totally different. She missed the event final 12 months due to the Tokyo Olympics and the quarantine she needed to comply with. The earlier 12 months, the Dallas-area event was rescheduled to early December due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I suppose as a result of 2020 we had been taking part in in such chilly climate, so I surprisingly discovered I hit the ball loads additional than earlier than,” Lin mentioned. “So 17 turned undoubtedly reachable for me, so I hit a very good drive after which had an ideal yardages and simply actually good second shot after which made the putt.”

Thitikul is considered one of two gamers who’ve a mathematical likelihood to maneuver to No. 1 forward of Ko, who’s house in South Korea resting an ailing left wrist.

The opposite is Nelly Korda, and her odds took successful when she opened with a 75. Korda, the Olympic gold medalist final summer time, missed 4 months with a blood clot and has but to win on the LPGA this 12 months.

Thitikul got here to life late on a agency course, operating off three straight birdies. The course is nothing just like the Arkansas course the place she gained final week, however the Thai teen is adjusting.

“Fairly agency and like each gap it is run-out, and the inexperienced, it is tough as nicely,” Thitikul mentioned. “However yeah, fairly good in the present day. Hitting fairly good. Get myself loads of possibilities to make a birdie.”

She was amongst three Thai golfers within the high 10 after the primary spherical. Moriya Jutanugarn was within the group at 67, whereas sister Ariya Jutanugarn was at 68.

Lin was runner-up in Thailand within the early a part of the 12 months, and he or she was runner-up to Ally Ewing this month in Cincinnati.

“I believe at this stage my recreation is in place, and clearly I am nonetheless attempting to chase the primary win,” she mentioned. “So I am simply going to maintain attempting and preserve pushing myself.”