3 tied for lead at LPGA Thailand tourney
CHONBURI, Thailand — Former Women’s PGA Championship winner Sei Young Kim moved from second place into a three-way tie for the lead after two rounds of the LPGA Thailand tournament on Friday.
After sailing through the first 11 holes with four birdies and an eagle, Kim had two bogeys on Nos. 13 and 17 to finish with a 4-under 68.
“I think I lost my focus when I was putting, so I missed the short putt, especially 17. I have to forget about it,” Kim said.
Kim, who won the 2020 Women’s PGA title by five strokes at Aronimink Golf Club in Pennsylvania, had a two-round total of 10-under 134 on the Siam Country Club Old Course at Chonburi southeast of Bangkok.
She was tied with Madelene Sagstrom and Patty Tavatanakit, who each shot 67 on Friday. They had a one-stroke lead over three players.
“It was a really solid day again today,” Tavatanakit said. “I feel like putts were rolling in earlier during the round, which helped a lot.”
Sagstrom got five of her six birdies before the turn against a lone bogey on the 3rd.
“I think I got really tired,” Sagstrom said. “There are some tricky pins out there, but the heat should get to all of us. I think it’s just trying to really stay in it.”
First-round leader Peiyun Chien, who led Kim by two strokes after the opening round, shot 72 Friday and was in a group two strokes behind the leaders.
Defending champion Lilia Vu had a 67 Friday and was 4 under and six strokes behind the leaders.
LPGA tournaments are also scheduled over the next two weeks in Singapore and China.
European Tour
NAIROBI, Kenya — Dutch golfer Darius Van Driel held a share of a three-way lead of the Kenya Open after the second
round on Friday.
Van Driel, the overnight leader, went 2-under 69 after his opening round 66.
He was joined at 7 under overall by Scotland’s Connor Syme and Finland’s Tapio Pulkkanen after both carded 68s.
Manuel Elvira, Ewen Ferguson, Sam Hutsby, and Lorenzo Scalise will head into the weekend one shot off the lead.
All three of the leaders are searching for their first European tour win. They each have runner-up finishes.
Rikuya Hoshino, the highest-ranked player in the field at No. 77 and the winner of the Qatar Masters two weeks ago, is tied for 45th at 1 under.
Champions Tour
John Daly had to withdraw last week after injuring his left hand, but he’s back in action this week on the PGA Tour Champions, which is in Morocco for the Trophy Hassan II.
Perhaps the hand is still a bit tender, as Daly slogged his way around Royal Golf Dar Es Salam in Rabat, Morocco, to the tune of a 14-over 87. His scorecard showed seven bogeys, two doubles and a quad. He did close with a birdie but is last in the 66-man field at 17 over.
Angel Cabrera is tied for 39th after two rounds. Playing in his first event on the Champions tour since getting out of prison, Cabrera shot 79-72 and is beating 21 others after Friday’s second round.
Good scores have been hard to come by this week. With 132 rounds played so far, there have been only eight rounds in the 60s. Meanwhile, there have been four scores in the 80s.
There’s a tie at the top of the leaderboard between Y.E. Yang and Ricardo Gonzalez, both at 7 under. Thomas Bjorn, Steve Pate and Mark Hensby are tied for third at 5 under. The final round is Saturday.
The PGA Tour Champions returns stateside in two weeks for the Cologuard Classic in Tucson, Arizona.