Defending champion Lexi Thompson fought through back pain on Friday to take the second-round lead in the Meijer LPGA Classic.
“It just came on last weekend and it was really bad today,” Thompson said. “I am not really one to complain about pain, because I just fight through it, but yeah, it is hurting. I am going to go and get a rubdown and see if it goes away.”
The 21-year-old Thompson shot a four-under 67, rebounding from bogeys on 15 and 16 with birdies on the final two holes to reach 10-under 132 at Blythefield.
Photo: AFP
“It was definitely important to come back from the two bogeys,” Thompson said. “I just hit a few errant drives there toward the end and made bogeys, but I played 17 and 18 well.”
Canada’s Alena Sharp bogeyed her final hole to drop into a tie for second at nine-under with South Korean players Chun In-gee, Ryu So-yeon and Q Baek. They all shot 67.
Thompson won the Honda LPGA Thailand in February for her seventh LPGA Tour title. The long-hitting Florida player, ranked fourth in the world, also won a Japan LPGA event last month. The back pain could be a major concern heading into the busy summer schedule and golf’s return to the Olympics.
“I just try not to pay attention to it,” Thompson said. “It was hurting just getting into posture for my golf shot, so it is what it is. Took a few ibuprofens and waited for it to kick in. I did not really want to pay attention to how bad it was hurting, because then it brings more attention to it and it becomes a mind game.”
Amy Yang (67) was eight-under along with Kim Sei-young (69), Minjee Lee (67), Haru Nomura (67), Jodi Ewart Shadoff (68), Amelia Lewis (68) and Carlota Ciganda (69).
Top-ranked Lydia Ko and No. 2 Brooke Henderson, coming off a playoff victory over Ko in the KPMG Women’s PGA, were together at seven-under after matching rounds of 68.
Ariya Jutanugarn, third last week after winning her previous three starts, was five-under after a 69. Older sister, Moriya, was also five-under after a 68.
Laura Davies, the 52-year-old World Golf Hall of Fame member, who shot a 65 on Thursday to share the lead, had a 73 to drop to four-under. She won the last of her 20 LPGA Tour titles in 2001.
Michelle Wie made the cut by a stroke at one-under, following her opening 71 with a 70. She is winless since the 2014 US Women’s Open and has not had a top-10 finish in 37 events.
Taiwan’s Min Lee and Hsu Wei-ling were two-under and one-under respectively, while compatriots Cheng Ssu-chia and Yani Tseng failed to make the cut.
Additional reporting by staff writer
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