Yan Liu has an albatross and a late
birdie to hang onto the lead in the Chevron Championship
[April 26, 2025]
THE WOODLANDS, Texas (AP) — Yan Liu had an albatross to
offset three front-nine bogeys and rebounded from a late bogey for
an even-par 72 and a one-stroke lead over four players Friday in the
Chevron Championship, the first women's major tournament of the
year.
Top-ranked Nelly Korda rallied late in the afternoon to make the cut
in her title defense, following an opening 77 with a 68. She won
last year at The Club at Carlton Woods for the last of her
record-tying five straight victories.
She used a different putter Friday.
“I putted for an hour and a half after the round yesterday, so just
needed something different,” Korda said. “Sometimes that’s all you
need.”
Fog delayed the start of play, with nine players unable to finish
the round because of darkness.
Liu, the 27-year-old Chinese player who shared the first-round lead
with Haeran Ryu after a 65, admitted she would feel some pressure
Saturday.
“I think, definitely, I will feel a little bit, because, well, this
is major,” Liu said. “I know the course is going to be harder,
harder, so I think I just stay patient, calm because I’m very
emotional person.”
Hyo Joo Kim (71) was a stroke back with Lindy Duncan (66), Sarah
Schmelzel (68) and Mao Saigo (68). Kim won the Ford Championship a
month ago in Arizona for her seventh LPGA Tour title, while the
other four players at the top of the leaderboard are winless.
Liu holed her 175-yard second shot on the 505-yard, downwind par-5
eighth with a 7-iron for the albatross.
“I saw the ball how to go in, so that’s really cool thing,” Liu
said. “But I think they don't have video for that hole. Little sad.”
Liu then bogeyed No. 9 and opened the back nine with seven pars. She
dropped into a six-way tied for the lead with a bogey on the par-3
17th. Her tee shot hopped left into fluffy Bermuda rough, she
chunked her second to the fringe and missed a 15-foot par try.
[to top of second column] |
Yan Liu, of China, hits on the sixth hole during the second round of
the Chevron Championship LPGA golf tournament Friday, April 25,
2025, in The Woodlands, Texas. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
She got the stroke back with a 15-foot birdie putt
on the par-5 18th, finishing about an hour before sunset.
“Last hole, is my first birdie today,” Liu said. “I’m glad I made
it.
Ryu had a 74 to fall two strokes back in a group with Angel Yin (70)
, Manon De Roey (71) and Hye-Jin Choi (71). Weiwei Zhang also was 5
under with three holes left when play was suspended.
Lexi Thompson was 4 under, following an opening 73 with a 67. The
30-year-old Florida player retired from full-time play at the end of
last season.
“I’m still practicing and training,” Thompson said. “I love working
out. I’m still striving to be better for when I do tee it up because
every time I tee it up I still want to win. It’s not like I’m just
going out here to show face. I’m still very competitive, but just
trying to enjoy the few times I will play.”
She won the 2014 event — then the Kraft Nabisco Championship — at
Mission Hills in Rancho Mirage, California.
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