Chun pushes her lead to 6 at women’s major
After another sparkling start, In Gee Chun finally hit a wayward tee shot — into the thick rough on the eighth hole at Congressional Country Club.
It was the closest she has come to a shaky stretch through the first two days of the Women’s PGA Championship in Bethesda, Md.
Chun recovered from two bogeys on the front nine and shot a 3-under-par 69 on Friday to increase her lead to six strokes at the tournament’s halfway point. Chun led by five after the first round, equaling the biggest 18-hole advantage in the history of women’s major championships.
Bogeys at Nos. 7 and 8 in the second round prevented her from pulling even further ahead, but she still was impressive in following up Thursday’s stellar performance.
“I really don’t want to think about yesterday. It was almost a perfect game I had,” said Chun, who is 11-under par through two rounds. “If I can think about yesterday, then I feel like I couldn’t make good focus on my game today.”
Lydia Ko (67) and Jennifer Kupcho (68) were second. Kupcho took the first major of the season in early April at the Chevron Championship and won a playoff Sunday in Michigan for her second LPGA Tour title.
Kupcho sounds comfortable having to chase down Chun.
“I think being behind and trying to catch up is better,” she said. “I mean, I had the lead at Chevron by a few strokes, so I know how it feels to be in her position. Being behind is at least my preferred way.”
Caroline Inglis (68) was another stroke back at 4-under, along with Brooke Henderson (69), Hannah Green (69), Sei Young Kim (69) and Jennifer Chang (70).
PGA Tour: Xander Schauffele shot his second straight 7-under 63 to take a five-stroke lead in the Travelers Championship in Cromwell, 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.
Kevin Kisner (64), Nick Hardy (64), defending champion Harris English (65), Cam Davis (66) and Patrick Cantlay (67) were tied for second at 9 under.
PGA Tour Champions: At the U.S. Senior Open, the past two Ryder Cup captains, Padraig Harrington and Steve Stricker, 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 6-under 65 to take a one-shot lead.
Stricker, whose U.S. team of stars throttled Europe in the Ryder Cup, overcame a sloppy start and birdied his last three holes for a 69. Rob Labritz is another shot back at 4-under.
Europe: Li Haotong kept his one-stroke lead at the BMW International Open in Munich as Ryan Fox moved up to second with a round of 8-under 64. Li’s 5-under 67 wasn’t quite the spectacular 10-under from the day before. It still came with plenty of drama, including an eagle on the par-5 sixth for the second day in a row, plus four birdies and two bogeys on the other holes of the front nine.