Kang in the lead again
Fresh off her victory at Inverness, Danielle Kang attacked a more receptive golf course Thursday in the Marathon Classic and opened with a 7-under 64 to share the lead with Lydia Ko.
Kang went six months without playing because of the COVID-19 pandemic and said she was eager to compete again. For five rounds in northeast Ohio, it sure looks that way.
Kang , who moved to No. 2 in the world last week by winning, played bogey-free at Highland Meadows. She closed with three birdies over his last four holes.
Ko, the former No. 1 player in women’s golf with only one victory in the last four years, had eight birdies against a lone bogey on the par-3 eighth hole to join Kang in the lead.
They had a one-shot lead over Megan Khang, whose 65 featured a hole-out for eagle on the par-4 fifth hole.
“Six, seven months off, definitely miss the competition,” said Kang, who filled the void with games in Las Vegas involving her brother, Alex, and boyfriend Maverick McNealy ,a rookie on the PGA Tour.
“Being able to come back here and compete again is what I was most excited about. And I’m just happy to do that.”
The Ohio courses are nothing alike.
Inverness has hosted major championship and will have the Solheim Cup next year. Kang was happy with pars in holding on for a one-shot victory in the LPGA Drive On Championship, a one-time event.
Highland Meadows, which has a history of hosting the LPGA Tour since 1984, is a little shorter and the greens were not quite as treacherous.
“It’s a bit soft, shorter, reachable par 5s,” Kang said “Greens are not as undulated as last week, so it’s a lot of attacking and being aggressive and staying aggressive.”
Stewart, Carter lead storm
Breanna Stewart scored 27 points and the Seattle Storm made all 10 of their free throws at the end to fend of the Atlanta Dream and Chennedy Carter 93-92 on Thursday night.
The Storm (5-1) made 25 of 27 foul shots, and the Dream (2-4) buried three 3-pointers in the final 13.5 seconds.
Carter led the Dream with a career-high 35 points — tied for the fifth most by a rookie according to the Elias Sports Bureau . Carter finished 11-of-17 shooting, including 3 of 4 from 3-point range and made all 10 of her free throws.
Heck hangs on at Women’s Amateur
Top-seeded teenager
Rachel Heck opened a big lead early and then had to hang on to beat Therese Warner in 18 holes to advance to the second round of the U.S. Women’s Amateur on Thursday.
The Women’s Amateur has not been kind to the medalists, with four of the last six No. 1 seeds losing in the opening round.
Heck, the 18-year-old from Tennessee, won the opening four holes and remained 4 up through 11 holes. Warner won the 12th and 14th, and then made a 50-foot birdie on 17 to send the match to the final hole at Woodmont Country Club. Heck won, 2 up.
Defending champion
Gabriela Ruffels trailed as she neared the turn until winning five of seven holes in a 3-and-2 victory over
Rajal Mistry.