Ina Yoon of South Korea took a five-stroke lead at the Women’s PGA Championship after the second round Monday at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minnesota. [1, 2] Yoon shot a 69 (-3) in round two to reach 12-under 132 after 36 holes, extending her front-runner position from the first round. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
The 24-year-old started the tournament with a record-equaling 63 (-9), matching the lowest first-round score in the history of the Women’s PGA Championship. [6, 7] She led by two strokes after the opening round with Australian Karis Davidson trailing at 7-under. [6, 8, 7] Yoon said of her first round, "I just hit the golf ball, and it just dropped in the hole. (It) was really an awesome experience." [6] She added, "I’m just trying to think of nothing. Focus on what I need to do. Focus on process. That part, I think, I did great." [8]
Yoon, now in her second year on the LPGA Tour, has yet to win an LPGA event and previously served a suspension on the KLPGA circuit. [6, 1, 7, 9, 3, 4] Reflecting on leading into the weekend for the first time, she said, "It’s actually really nice experience for me. I’m so excited to play last two more days." [1]
Several players are tied for second place at 7-under, including Ryu Hae-ran of South Korea, who shot an 8-under 64 in round two, [1, 2, 3, 4, 5] as well as Kim A-lim (South Korea), Brooke Henderson (Canada), and Nasa Hataoka (Japan). [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
World No. 1 Nelly Korda, a two-time major winner this season, sits six strokes behind Yoon at 6-under 138 after rounds of 73 and 68. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5] She started seven shots back following a double bogey at the 16th hole of round one. [6, 8, 7, 9] Korda said, "Honestly just made one bad swing, which ended up in a double. But overall, pretty happy with my day. I put myself into a good position. I'm really happy with the first day." [8] On managing the chase, she added, "It is hard to have a big lead going into the weekend... I'm just going to focus on, as boring as it is, one shot at a time and see where that takes me." [2]
The tournament is played on a 6,700-yard course at Hazeltine, with calm, dry conditions and temperatures in the mid-70s Fahrenheit during the first two rounds. [6, 5] The overall purse is a record $13 million, the largest in women’s golf history, with $1.95 million set for the winner. [8]
The third round is scheduled for Tuesday, June 27, as Yoon attempts to maintain her lead and capture her first LPGA victory.
