Lexi Thompson on Friday fired a bogey-free five-under 67 to grab a three-shot lead midway through the LPGA season-ending CME Group Tour Championship in Naples, Florida.
Thompson, without a victory this year, capped her round with three straight birdies at Tiburon Golf Club to pull away from overnight leader Amy Olson and fellow American Brittany Lincicome.
Her 36-hole score of 12-under 132 tied the tournament record set by Lydia Ko in 2016 and matched by Park Sung-hyun last year.
Photo: AFP
Thompson is the only player without a bogey through 36 holes and is on the way to expunging the memory of a missed two-footer that cost her victory at this event last year.
A victory would extend her streak to six consecutive LPGA seasons with at least one win.
“I gave myself the birdie opportunities I wanted,” said Thompson, who missed just one fairway and found all 18 greens in regulation. “Wish I would’ve made a few more, but definitely not complaining with the five-under round and the finish I had.”
Lincicome was atop the leaderboard until a double-bogey at the par-four 15th, followed by back-to-back bogeys at the last two holes.
That included a three-putt from four feet at the 18th that gave her a one-under 71 for an eight-under total of 135.
“One little brain fart of hitting it too hard, and then my putting speed was just horrendous coming in,” said Lincicome, who had five birdies in her first 14 holes before her round got away from her.
“I four-putted 15, was above the hole and just hit it way too hard, then I did it again on the par-five [17th]. I was doing so great all day, and then all of a sudden it was just like small explosions in my putting stroke,” she added.
Olson followed up her first-round 63 with a level-par 72 that included two birdies and two bogeys.
It was a further stroke back to Marina Alex and Nelly Korda, who both shot 67 for a two-round total of 136.
World No. 1 and defending champion Ariya Jutanugarn opened her round with three straight bogeys, but rebounded to post a one-under 71 that left her nine off the lead in a tie for 20th.
Taiwan’s Hsu Wei-ling carded a two-under 70 to move up into a share of 25th, while Chien Pei-yun’s even-par 72 left her tied for 43rd.
Additional reporting by staff writer
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