Canada’s Henderson keeping pace at LPGA’s final major, 2 shots back
EVIAN-LES-BAINS, France — Canada’s Brooke Henderson is two strokes back at the halfway mark of the Evian Championship, the final major of the LPGA Tour season.
The 21-year-old native of Smiths Falls, Ont., is tied for sixth at 6 under after a 2-under 69 on Friday. She’s two strokes behind Maria Torres of Puerto Rico, Mi Hyang Lee of South Korea and Americans Mo Martin and Amy Olson.
After two birdies in a row on Nos. 4 and 5, Henderson had a bogey at No. 6 and a double bogey at No. 7. But she bounced back on the back nine with four birdies and one bogey.
“I feel like my game is in a really good spot,” said Henderson. “To be able to rebound like that mentally I think is really key. I’m really excited for the next two days.”
Tour rookie Torres, the first Puerto Rican to earn an LPGA card, shot a 2-under 69 before Olson (65), Martin (66) and Lee (66) matched her 8-under 134 total.
The 23-year-old Torres is ranked No. 184. She missed the cut at 10 over in her only previous major, the Women’s PGA Championship won in July by the South Korean world No. 1 Sung Hyun Park, who won’t play this weekend.
Park (71) started and finished play Friday at 6 over at the sun-soaked Evian Resort Golf Club and missed the cut by three shots.
Olson had seven birdies and secured a share of the lead with an 18-foot par-saving putt on the 18th.
Lee made an eagle at her final hole, the par-5 ninth, to be the highest-ranked co-leader, at No. 59. The South Korean’s two career LPGA wins are more than the other three combined, though Martin won the 2014 Women’s British Open.
One shot back, Carlota Ciganda of Spain carded a 70 to follow a 65 that only Torres equaled on Thursday.
A seven-woman group at 6 under included Georgia Hall (68), last month’s Women’s British Open champion, plus former major winners Henderson (69) and So Yeon Ryu (69). Austin Ernst (70) is also two shots back.
American amateur Rachel Heck, who is only 16 years old, safely made the cut at her second major. A 73 got her to 1 over.
The top-ranked American, world No. 5 Lexi Thompson, was in tears on the 18th green and missed the cut by one stroke. She scuffed a chip that led to a bogey and a round of 75. Thompson had also dropped a shot at the 17th.