Chun extends her Women’s PGA lead to six strokes
BETHESDA, Md. — In Gee Chun shot a 3-under 69 on Friday to increase her lead to six strokes halfway through the Women’s PGA Championship.
Chun led by five after the first round, equaling the biggest 18-hole advantage in the history of women’s major championships. The Congressional Country Club course was a bit more forgiving Friday, and she began with three birdies in the first five holes.
Bogeys on Nos. 7 and 8, however, kept her from opening a even bigger lead,
Lydia Ko (67) and Jennifer Kupcho (68) were second. Kupcho took the first major of the season in early April in the California desert and won a playoff Sunday in Michigan for her second LPGA Tour title.
After wet conditions for the first round brought the course’s length into focus, it was a clear, warm day Friday. Ko’s impressive performance set the tone early on. Like Chun, Ko is trying for her third major title and first since 2016.
Lexi Thompson matched Ko with a 67 of her own, highlighted by an eagle when she holed out a wedge from 102 yards on the par-4 17th.
“I took one more club extra to control the spin,” Thompson said. “I had spun back a good amount of shots. So I tried to take one more and chip it, and I ended up spinning it back. It was still really going fast with the spin, but ended up going in. I just went off the crowd because we can’t see anything from down there.”
U.S. Women’s Open champ Minjee Lee (68) was with Thompson at 3 under.
Although there were far more birdies on day two than on Thursday, even the top players had their problems. After reaching 11 under par, Chun missed the green on the par-3 seventh and took a bogey. Then on No. 8, a 245-yard par 4, her tee shot went into the thick rough on the edge of a greenside bunker.
Chun punched out of it backwards, then failed to get up and down for par.
Still, those were her only two bogeys of the round, and she’s kept the field at arm’s length. Hye-Jin Choi and Pornanong Phatlum both shot 72 after first-round 69s. They now trail by eight.
Schauffele leads Travelers by 5
Xander Schauffele shot his second straight 7under 63 to take a fivestroke lead in the Travelers Championship in Cromwall, Conn.
The Olympic champion shot a 31 on the front nine at TPC River Highlands with four birdies, then had a 32 on the back, making birdies on 11, 14 and 17.
He has hit 33 of 36 greens in regulation and is the only player in the tournament without a bogey.
Harrington up 1 at U.S. Seniors
Padraig Harrington and Steve Stricker are going at it again on a big stage, and this time they have more say over the outcome at the U.S. Senior Open.
The two Ryder Cup captains from Whistling Straits last September will be in the final group going into the weekend at Saucon Valley in Bethlehem, Pa., after Harrington birdied three of his last six holes for a 6under 65 to take a oneshot lead. Stricker did some nifty work of his own to overcome a sloppy start. He birdied his last three holes for a 69.
Haotong keeps 1-shot advantage
Li Haotong kept his one-stroke lead at the BMW International Open in Munich as Ryan Fox moved up to second with a strong round of 8-under 64.
Li’s 5-under 67 wasn’t quite the spectacular 10 under from the day before.