China’s Yan Liu recorded a rare albatross — a three-under-par score on a hole — and emerged with the lead after the second round of the Chevron Championship on Friday in The Woodlands, Texas.
On the par-5 eighth hole at The Club at Carlton Woods, Liu’s second shot, a 7-iron from 170 yards out, found the hole.
Liu wound up shooting an even-par 72 for the day, leaving her at seven-under 137 in the first LPGA major of the season.
Photo: AP
Four players are tied for second at six under: Lindy Duncan, who shot a six-under 66 on Friday; Sarah Schmelzel, 68; Japan’s Mao Saigo, 68; and South Korea’s Hyo Joo Kim, 71.
Angel Yin (second-round 70), Belgium’s Manon De Roey (71) and South Koreans Hye-jin Choi (71) and Haeran Ryu (74) share sixth place at five under. Ryu and Liu were the coleaders after the opening round.
Additionally, China’s Weiwei Zhang was five-under through 15 holes and five-under for the tournament when play was suspended due to darkness on Friday evening.
Liu said of her albatross, “I take my 7-iron and I see the ball [went] in, so that’s a really cool thing, but I think [the TV crew does not] have video for that hole. Little sad.”
“I think I jump twice on the fairway. Just very happy and so excited. Players in [my] group say congrats to me, so that’s very nice,” she said.
The rest of her round was forgettable. Liu made four bogeys, and her lone birdie came on the par-5 18th hole.
Liu, a 27-year-old who has yet to win an LPGA event, admitted she would feel some pressure entering the weekend as the leader.
“I think definitely I will feel a little bit, because this — well, this is major,” she said. “I know the course going to be harder, harder, so I think just I just stay ... patient, calm. Because I’m very emotional person, yes,” she said.
Duncan started her round well, recording five birdies and four pars on the back nine, which she played first. Then, after back-to-back bogeys at Nos. 5 and 6, she closed with three consecutive birdies.
“I think I’ve been hitting the ball well,” Duncan said. “Then I’ll have a round where I putt well and I have a good feel on the greens, and that really helped me today. I just dropped a couple long ones and kept the momentum going with the short ones as well.”
World No. 1 and defending champion Nelly Korda bounced back from a 77 in the first round with a 68 on Friday, leaving tied for 46th at one-over par. Also at one-over par was world No. 3 Lydia Ko of New Zealand, who shot a second-round 72.
Two Taiwanese are also taking part in the championships. Chien Pei-yun was tied for 64th at two-over par after a second-round 72, while Hsu Wei-ling was in joint 109th at six-over par following a second-round 70.
Additional reporting by staff writer
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