EWA BEACH, Hawaii (AP) — Hyo Joo Kim birdied three of the ultimate six holes for her second 5-under 67 and a three-stroke lead Thursday after the second spherical of the LPGA Tour’s LOTTE Championship.
Kim closed with birdies on the par-4 thirteenth and sixteenth holes and the par-5 18th to succeed in 10 underneath at windy Hoakalei Nation Membership, the first-year venue on the south shore of Oahu about 20 miles west of Honolulu. Kim had her second bogey-free spherical.
“Initially, I’m glad,” stated Kim, the 26-year-old main champion from South Korea. “I performed the identical rating and bogey-free spherical as yesterday, however extra glad with as we speak’s play than yesterday.”
Kim, who tied for eighth at Mission Hills within the California desert two weeks in the past and has 4 victories on the tour, birdied the thirteenth and sixteenth holes for the second straight spherical. She has performed the again 9 in 7 underneath.
Kim has performed within the LOTTE Championship yearly because the match debuted in 2012. Her greatest finishes on the occasion got here in 2014, when she was fourth, and 2015, when she tied for fourth.
Sarah Kemp of Australia was second after a 69. She chipped in for birdie on the par-4 14th.
“Actually stable. A lot of fairways, greens,” Kemp stated. “I had a chip-in. Rolled it very well. It was simply regular. I hit one fairway bunker brief, however simply total actually regular.”
Ariya Jutanugarn birdied two of her first 5 holes in a 68. She was 4 stroke again at 6 underneath with Haeji Kang (70_. A Lim Kim adopted a gap 72 with a 67 to get to five underneath, together with Na Rin An (68).
“It’s actually windy right here and typically there’s a gust (of) wind,” A Lim Kim stated. “I feel it’s a spot the place it’s important to play sensible as a result of the greens are agency.”
With the projected reduce line set at 3 over for the championship, all three Canadian rivals within the area weren’t in a position to make it.
Maude-Aimee Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que., and Maddie Szeryk completed the second spherical each at 4 over for the match, whereas Canadian star Brooke Henderson was compelled to withdraw from the occasion due to an sickness previous to the beginning of the second spherical.
Australia’s Hannah Inexperienced, the first-round chief at 66, shot a 76 to fall eight strokes again.
Two-time LOTTE champion Brooke Henderson withdrew attributable to sickness previous to the beginning of her spherical Thursday. The Canadian shot a 74 on Wednesday.
Kalani Takase, The Related Press