Monterey’s Harigae leads Women’s Open
Mina Harigae has not won an LPGA Tour event, but lately the Monterey native has been knocking at the door. Part of the reason for that, she says, is some hard-won maturity that she didn’t have as a 20-year-old rookie in 2010.
“I feel like I have better tools to navigate these new experiences,” said Harigae, whose parents run a sushi restaurant in Pacific Grove. “I think just trying to be calm, just go about my day.”
She’s doing it well this week at the U.S. Women’s Open in Southern Pines, N.C., about 80 miles away from Duke, where she went to college. The firstround leader was solid again in Friday’s second round at Pine Needles, shooting a 2-underpar 69 to keep a share of the lead with hard-charging Minjee Lee (66) at 9-under 133.
Three-time major champion Anna Nordqvist and Hye-Jin Choi, who carded a 64 to come a shot from matching the lowest round in the event’s 77-year history, were 7-under. Nordqvist had a 68.
Making a major move was world No. 1 Jin Young Ko, who vaulted into contention for a third major championship by playing the final five holes in 3-under for a 67 to pull three shots back at 6-under, tied for fifth with Swedish amateur Ingrid Lindblad, who followed her event amateur-record 65 on Thursday with a 71.
Ko hasn’t won a major since 2019, but won five LPGA Tour events last year and already has a win this year.
Nelly Korda, the No. 2 player in the world, was six shots off the pace after a 69. She’s playing in her first tournament since undergoing surgery on her left arm to fix a blood clot. San Francisco-born Danielle Kang, the No. 12 player in the world, barely made the cut at 3-over after revealing she has a tumor on her spine.
Among notables missed the cut include defending champion Yuka Saso (77-74), 10-time major champion Annika Sorenstam (74-81) and 2014 champion Michelle Wie West (73-74).
Wie West, 32, who is married to Golden State Warriors director of basketball operations Jonnie West, said she will play one more tournament before retiring: next year’s U.S. Women’s Open at Pebble Beach.
PGA Tour: Cameron Smith elicited one of the loudest cheers at Muirfield Village when he holed out with a downhill chip from beyond the green on the par-3 12th that carried him to a 3-under 69 and a oneshot lead at 8-under 136 after two rounds of the Memorial at Dublin, Ohio.
Denny McCarthy (69) and K.H. Lee (70) were in second. Billy Horschel putted for birdie on every hole and made four of them for a 68 that left him in the group two shots behind with Torrey Pines winner Luke List, rookies Cameron Young and Davis Riley, and Jhonattan Vegas. Rory McIlroy had a 69 and was three shots behind.
Missing the cut was Bryson DeChambeau (hand surgery), who had not played since the Masters, and Cal alum Collin Morikawa.
PGA Tour Champions: Kirk Triplett shot a 9-under 63 to take a two-stroke lead over Jerry Kelly, Ken Tanigawa and Brett Quigley after the first round of the Principal Charity Classic at Des Moines, Iowa.
DP World Tour: Jordan Smith shot a 4-under 68 and surged to a two-stroke lead over Victor Perez in the second round of the European Open in Winsen, Germany, seeking his second tour win five years.