The KPMG Women’s PGA Championship is looking a lot like last week’s U.S. Open on the men’s side. Or for an LPGA reference, last April’s Chevron Championship. The leader has a healthy cushion of strokes going into the weekend and owns the pressure that comes with that.
Welcome to that esteemed group, Ina Yoon. Backing up an opening nine-under-par 63 that tied the tournament record at Hazeltine National, the 23-year-old Yoon shot 69 on Friday to build a five-shot lead heading into the weekend. Yoon stands at 12 under, and she has four pursuers in second—Haeran Ryu (64), Nasa Hataoka (67), Brooke Henderson (68) and A Lim Kim (70).
Advertisement
World No. 1 Nelly Korda, who is trying to win her third straight major and reach the LPGA Hall of Fame, is six shots back of Yoon after scoring 68. Two months ago, it was Korda who headed into the third round of the season’s first major, the Chevron, with a six-shot lead. She put a stranglehold on the title, leading by five going into Sunday and ultimately winning by five. Korda experienced much more a fight earlier this month in the U.S. Women’s Open, making a nervy par on the 72nd hole to win by one.
Meantime, in last week’s U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills, Wyndham Clark built leads of four and six strokes after Rounds 2 and 3, and he needed a late birdie to avoid a playoff with Sam Burns.
Yoon is more green in this position than any of those other players. The South Korean is in only her second year on the LPGA, and she noted on Friday afternoon that she’s never led after 36 holes.
“It’s actually really nice experience for me. I’m so excited to play last two more days,” Yoon said.
Advertisement
She later added, “The remaining two days will obviously be nerve-wrackng, but being nervous is human nature, and I think I want to embrace that and focus on what I can in my shots.”
Yoon has risen to a career-high 39th on the Rolex World Golf Rankings this season on the strength of three top-six finishes on the LPGA, including a T-4 at the Chevron.
“Although it wasn’t close to winning, being top 10 at major is obviously very nerve-wracking and keeping my calm wasn’t easy,” Yoon said. “From Chevron I learned that and I think I’m taking that this week.”
Yoon’s success this year has also brought attention to a personal mistake that she is hoping to eventually overcome. Four years ago, at 19 years old, she was suspended by the Korean Golf Association and KLPGA for knowingly hitting a wrong ball and then not informing officials about it until weeks later. Yoon was originally suspended for three years before her punishment was shortened.
Advertisement
In an effort to make up for her mistake, Yoon donated her subsequent mini-tour earnings to junior golf, and she gained a sizeable fan club who gathered signatures to lessen her ban.
She has apologized publicly several times, and in an interview with Golfweek earlier this year, she said, “People around me that knew the situation felt that it wasn’t fair, but whatever the punishment was as a player, it was my fault at the end of the day, so I took that on.”
2282972923
NurPhoto
Korda, meantime, has been basking in the attention and pleasure that comes with a season in which she’s won four times, including two majors.
Advertisement
She came into the Women’s PGA with plenty of attention and her play was solid in the opening round until she hooked her drive into the water at the 16th hole to make a double bogey that led to a 70. On Friday, starting at No. 10, Korda had a good front nine with four birdies, but she hooked her drive at No. 1 and continued for a stretch of wondering where the ball was going.
It happens to the best.
“Had a case of the hooks on a few of my tee shots on the back nine. Figured it out going down the stretch, so pleased with my day,” Korda said.
She smiled and added, “Well, that’s the thing. At [Riviera] it’s a dead right and now it’s left. I was joking with J (her caddie Jason McDede), I would’ve killed for this shot at Riv.
Advertisement
But it’s just golf. It’s funny, right? It always kind of humbles you and you’re always kind of scratching your head a little bit in some ways. … At one point I was, like, I have no idea what’s going on. Feel like my tempo is pretty good, but just tried to think about one thing and that helped me.”
Read the full article here