Ben Campbell’s powerful finish secures title in Morocco


Campbell with his trophy – image Asian Tour

New Zealand’s Ben Campbell has continued a lucrative eight months in his professional career by recording his second Asian Tour victory and the third as a professional at the International Series Morocco event at the Dar Es Salam

Campbell snatched a surprise victory from American John Catlin to win the US$2 million International Series Morocco after a sensational finish on the Red Course at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam.

It was Campbell’s 7th top ten worldwide including his wins here and in Hong Kong in November in the last eight months.

Campbell also earned a start as an alternate in a Liv Golf event earlier this year, adding yet another US$140,000 or so to his growing bank balance.

Campbell holed a 20-foot birdie putt on the par-five 18th to win on the first hole of a sudden-death play-off, having been three behind playing partner Catlin with two holes to play.

Campbell shot a two-under-par 71, helped by an eagle on the par-four 17th and a birdie on 18 in normal time, to tie Catlin, in with a 72, on 15-under.

American Caleb Surratt (71) and Eugenio Chacarra (73) from Spain, tied for third, three behind the top two.

Campbell started the final day one behind Catlin – the leader after each of the first three days and chasing win number three of the season – and looked to be just falling short.

He’d made two great up and downs for par on 15 and 16 before holing a 35-foot putt for eagle on the penultimate hole.

On the par-five 18th hole they both faced 10-foot birdie putts, with Campbell holing his first before his American opponent, normally so clinical, just missed his attempt.

“That was a great finish,” said Campbell.

“You know I didn’t have my best out there today and I just kept saying to Mike (his caddie), I’ve just got to find something and just stay patient. And yeah, like I went flag hunting on 16 and leaked it right, and hit a great bunker shot there. I said to Mike, if I can find a birdie eagle, you never know. So, I did that, and then to hole a putt like that in the play-off, it’s always good.”

It is his second success on the Asian Tour having won the Hong Kong Open, another event on The International Series calendar, at the end of last year after a similarly last-gasp finish when he nailed a 15-foot birdie to win by one over Cam Smith.

The win is another reward for a player dogged by injury throughout his career.

He said: “I just think it’s been a tough run, and I didn’t give up then and I’m not going to give up now. I just kept saying to Mike just don’t give up out here. I’ve got to find something in my swing. I was feeling great on the range and lost it, sort of, on the course. But yeah, just said to him and I just sort of keep saying to myself, don’t give up.”

Catlin had one hand on the trophy with three to go and was a safe bet to claim the seventh Asian Tour title of his career and second wire-to-wire of the season.

Holding a one-shot lead at the start of the day, he surprisingly bogeyed his first two holes, but bounced back to lead by one at the turn before a birdie on 15 left him with that three-stoke cushion. Unfortunately, two closing pars were not good enough to hold off the charging Campbell.

Said Catlin: “I mean, you have to tip the cap. I mean the guy goes two, four, four to finish. I mean, he probably made 130 feet of putts to win on the last three holes. All you can do is shake his hand and say well done. I mean, yeah, it is what it is.

Campbell is now second on The International Series Rankings and third on the Asian Tour OOM.

Australia’s Travis Smyth finished four shots from the playoff in a share of 5th place.

The Asian Tour takes a short break now before heading to the International Series England at Foxhills Country Club and Resort, from August 8-11.

It will be the ninth event of the season on the Asian Tour and fourth leg of The International Series.

American Andy Ogletree, who topped the Asian Tour OOM and International Series Rankings last year, is the defending champion.

Leaderboard

http://

 

/by

Richard Green finishes 3rd at US Senior Open

Richard Green plays from the 11th tee on Monday morning – image USGA

Richard Green has finished in 3rd place at the US Senior Open at the Newport Country Club on Rhode Island, finishing three shots behind the playoff between England’s Richard Bland and Japan’s Hiroyuki Fujita.

Returning to the course early on Monday to complete a weather-disrupted final round, Green was unable to advance his score of Sunday evening and in the remaining eight holes he dropped two shots to finish with a round of 1 over 71 and a 72-hole total of 10 under par.

Still, for Green this finish adds to his impressive runner-up finish at the Senior PGA Championship and the US$255,000 he earns takes him into 5th place in the Schwab Cup standings with season’s earnings of US$965,000.

Green got within two shots of Fujita at one stage over the closing nine holes but it would be LIV golfer Bland who stole the show with a final round of 66 to catch Fujita who dropped three shots in his first four holes once play recommenced at 8.00 am on Monday.

“Good week,” said Green. “It was a tough week mentally to compete and challenge myself to try and win the U.S. Senior Open. It was trying conditions today with a completely opposite wind direction, which made some holes play totally different. Required a lot of different strategy and a lot more thought into how we were going to go about getting it done.

“As much as I’ve tried to press, golf doesn’t usually allow you to press, does it? You’ve got to do well and let the birdies come to you, if they come to you. Those didn’t come.

“Got a little bit frustrated on 16 and hit a putt too hard. Other than that, I’m pretty pleased how I got through the last hole. The last hole was very challenging. A bit of great up-and-down to finish it off.”

The playoff between Bland and Fujita lasted four holes before Bland would par the final hole to edge out Fujita who had been in front since his opening 63 on Thursday.

Cameron Percy and Steve Alker were the next best of the Australasians in a share of 12th place.

Leaderboard

Richard Bland his second senior major in 2024 – image USGA   

 

 

 

 

/by

Door remains open for Richard Green at US Senior Open


Richard Green and caddie walk from the course after play was postponed – image USGA

When Richard Green resumes his final round of the US Senior Open at the Newport Country Club on Rhode Island at 8.00am Monday morning US East Coast time, he will find himself four shots out of the lead held by Japan’s Hiroyuki Fujita and one behind the current second placed Richard Bland of England.

Horrific wet and windy conditions brought play to a halt at 3.00pm on Sunday with only 11 of the 71 players having completed their rounds.

Green had just birdied the 10th hole when play was called but with still eight holes to play there is still an opportunity for the 53-year-old Victorian to become only the second Australian in the 44-year history of the event to take the title.  Graham Marsh was the other when he won in 1997.

The leader Fujita, an 18-time winner on the Japan Golf Tour, has looked infallible over the first 64 holes of the event but the last eight holes will be most interesting as he, Bland and Green chase their first US Senior Open title.

Today, Fujita set a US Senior Open record by finding the fairway on 38 consecutive occasions during the course of the week to bypass the record of 32 that had been set previously in 1997, so his play has been exemplary until now.

Steve Alker 11th, and Cameron Percy 14th are the next best of the Australiasians to make the cut.

Leaderboard

 

 

 

 

/by

Cam Davis wins second PGA Tour title in Detroit

 

 

Cam Davis – image Getty Images

Australian Cam Davis has today further confirmed his liking for the Detroit Golf Club by claiming a second Rocket Mortgage Classic and his second PGA Tour title with a narrow one-shot victory over fellow countryman Min Woo Lee, Americans Davis Thompson, Akshay Bathia and England’s Aaron Rai.

Davis, who won this event three years ago, began the final round one shot behind Bathia and Rai. However, there were still many chances with just a few holes to go before Davis got up and down for birdie from just off the green at the par 5 17th to draw level with Lee who had finished 15 minutes earlier and Bhatia who was playing in the group behind.

Needing a par at the last to force a playoff with Davis, Bhatia three putted from 30 feet, the second from 3 feet, leaving Davis as the winner and with a cheque for US$1.65 million.

The win will also move Davis from his current 67th position in the world ranking to just inside the top 40, the highest-ever ranking for the 29-year-old.

Davis was asked what it is about the Detroit Golf Club that has resulted in such success.

“Honestly, I don’t know. The first couple years I played here I missed the cut and felt like this place just wasn’t for me. I love old-school design. Donald Ross golf courses to me visually are very fun, I love the greens, I love the way the fairways meander through the tree lines and I love the shapes of the bunkering.

“For some reason, I’ve never done well on a course like this before and I don’t know what’s changed. Obviously, my game plan worked really well in 2021. I’m a different golfer and it’s a different game plan, the weather was completely different.

“I don’t know, something about having to shape the ball around a bit. You can be in the fairway and still have to bend it around trees, I feel like that’s something I’ve always been more comfortable with. And also the only thing that has to be going well more than anything else is the driver off the tee here and for some reason, yeah, I’ve managed to get the ball in play quite well out here.”

“It was a rollercoaster of emotions at the end there,” said Davis referring to the many permutations on the leaderboard late in the round. “Honestly, I felt like I had done a pretty good job of really not knowing where I stood on the leaderboard. I felt like honestly, especially that back nine, just moment after moment of could have been awesome but just didn’t quite happen, I felt like it just wasn’t going to be my day.

“I was honestly very surprised that I was tied for the lead with the last group coming down 18, I guess I’ve been here before, I needed to go get ready for another playoff.

“When Akshay missed that putt, it’s a combination of shock and feeling bad for him, but at the same time just realizing that the huge burden of trying to win again is off the shoulders. Still in a little bit of shock, it doesn’t really feel real right now.”

Davis paid tribute to the work he has been doing on the mental side of his game and especially the work he has been doing with a hypnotherapist.

“I’m working with a hypnotherapist that I only just started working with, just trying to take a different approach to try and get my head back in the right place. Yeah, I honestly haven’t been a very good place mentally at all for the last six months or so. I felt like all the opportunities have been slipping out of my hands as the year progresses without playing very good golf.

“I had a great week at the Masters and it feels like since then it all had just left me. I felt like a change of direction was definitely needed, something that I was actually going to stick to because I’m definitely someone that will start doing something and if it doesn’t feel like it’s helping straight away, it’s very easy to drop it.

“Sticking with the work that I’m doing with Grace has made a very big impact very quickly. I felt a lot better last week even though the score didn’t show it, and to have it turn into this this week is hard to believe really because I was not in a good place two or three weeks ago.”

Lee who is in his first season on the PGA Tour finished runner-up for the second occasion and is clearly a young man with a big future at this level and beyond. He will regret his final hole bogey which cost him a chance for a playoff with Davis but the week provides further evidence of his immense talent.

Lee will move close to the top 30 in the world ranking, perhaps surpassing his previous best of 31st.

SCORES

/by

Richard Green just one off halfway lead at US Senior Open

Richard Green during today’s second round  – image USGA

Australia’s Richard Green is just one off the halfway lead at the US Senior Open at the Newport Country Club on Rhode Island, a second round of 67 added to his opening 63 to be just one off the lead held by his co-first round leader Hiroyuki Fujita.

An opening bogey on day two by Green after starting at the 10th was quickly put right with two consecutive birdies at his 2nd and 3rd holes before completing an outward nine of 1 under 34. Then, just as he did on day one he birdied the first and 2nd holes of the course and parred in to be nicely positioned heading into the weekend.

Green described the more demanding conditions on day two but expressed his satisfaction with how he ground out his round.

“Hung in there pretty well today. It was much tougher conditions today with the wind. It’s something we faced in the last couple of holes yesterday, but not for the whole round.

“There were some really testing shots out there today coming through 4, 5, 6 and the early holes on the back nine, 10, 11, 12, 13. Some really, really tough, demanding shots.

“I was able to hit some good ones when I needed to and hang in there when I needed to. It was a much tougher feeling out there today.

“Fujita obviously had a great start, another great round. So, he must be feeling pretty comfortable out there.

“So, I was aware of it. Obviously aware of Steve Stricker and the good round to get up to that position where I was tied with him for 2nd for a long part of the day until I sort of made a couple towards the end.

“Yeah, it’s just being there on Sunday now. Just giving myself a chance tomorrow, giving myself a chance Sunday.”

Green finished runner-up at the recent Senior PGA Championship so contention at this level on the PGA Tour Champions is nothing new to him.


Cameron Percy – en route to a second round of 65 – image USGA

Australia’s Cameron Percy reeled off seven birdies in his opening 16 holes before bogeys at the 17th and 18th put a bit of a dampener on his efforts but he improved considerably from his opening 70 for his round of 65 to be now tied in a share of 9th place and six off the lead held by Fujita an eighteen-time winner on the Japan Golf Tour.

“I mucked up the last two holes, said Percy. “Yeah, I just tweaked my lie angles and irons and going left on me. If I don’t hold onto it it’s going left, so that’s happened on 17.

And then 18 I just blocked my driver. Been hitting a beautiful draw all day and it went straight, so that was no fun. It was in the hazard and had to chip it out.

“But I found something in my putting this morning on the putting green. Made a lot of 10-, 15-footers today so it was nice.”

The talk of the day however was the amazing feat by American Frank Bensel who, playing in his first US Senior Open,  holed in one on consecutive holes.

Bensel a teaching professional at Century Country Club in Purchase, N.Y., and the Club at Mirasol in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., made USGA history with back-to-back holes-in-one on the par-3 fourth and fifth holes. He used a 6-iron on both holes, which measured 173 and 202 yards, respectively. They were the 22nd and 23rd aces in U.S. Senior Open history.

Other Australasians in the field to make the cut were Steve Alker and Mark Hensy (24th), Hensby bouncing back from his opening 75 with a best of the day round of 63,  Mathew Goggin 31st, Michael Wright 36th,  Michael Long and Stuart Appleby 47th and Greg Chalmers 60th.

Leaderboard 

Frank Bensel – consecutive holes in one today – image USGA

 

 

 

 

/by

Richard Green shares first round lead at US Senior Open

Richard Green in action during the opening round – image USGA

Australian Richard Green shares the opening round lead at the US Senior Open on Rhode Island, his opening round of 63 having he and Japan’s Hiroyuki Fujita one ahead of American Billy Andrade.

Green, who played in the morning field on day one, birdied his opening two holes and never looked back adding five further birdies including one at the last to join Fujita who had teed off an hour earlier.

“Started off very nicely,” said Green. “You know, I felt the preparation this week has been set up really well to play on this golf course. Felt pretty comfortable in my preparation and practice rounds.

“Today’s round, you know, proved itself. Hit the ball very, very well. A lot of work has been put in and it’s just nice to see to come to fruition.

“It was beautiful conditions. Couldn’t have asked for a better morning to play golf. It’s probably what’s going to be one of my favorite golf courses I’ll ever play. It just suits my eye.

“I really enjoy hitting good golf shots around it. Obviously conditions this afternoon are a little bit more windy. More than likely it will even itself out after a couple days and we’ll get our share of it tomorrow.”

Green enthused over his opening effort suggesting it was one of the better rounds of his career.

“Yeah, one of the best I’ve had really. I’ve had lower scores in my time, but from a feeling of how I feel on this golf course and the way I prepared and practiced and got my game into this shape, as good a round as I’ve ever had. Can’t ask for more.”

Earlier this year Green finished runner-up at the Senior PGA Championship and finished 7th in this event last year.

The next best of the eight Australians in the field was Mathew Goggin who was debuting in a PGA Tour Champions event.

Goggin who lead the qualifiers at his qualifying venue after also recording a round of 63 at his venue, impressed with five birdies and a bogey for his round of 66 to be in a share of 5th place.

“I hit the ball really nicely today,” said the Tasmanian who has focused much of his recent attention on the development of a new golf course in his home state. “I drove the ball well and got a bit of confidence early and smashed a few tee shots, and that sort of helped.

And then knocked it on 16 for 2 and then 1 for 2 and drove the 2nd green. It’s not often you get to three eagle putts in five holes at a U.S. Open. So that was just a bonus.”

Stuart Appleby and Rod Pampling opened with round of 67 to be tied for 15th, Michael Wright had 68 and Cameron Percy 70.

SCORES

/by

Large Australasian line-up at US Senior Open

New Zealand’s Steve Alker – during practice today – image USGA

The US Senior Open gets underway on Thursday at the Newport Country Club on Rhode Island, where eight Australians and three New Zealanders will take their place in senior golf’s most prestigious championship.

New Zealanders Steve Alker, Michael Long and Richard Lee will be joined by Australians Richard Green, Rod Pampling, Mark Hensby, Greg Chalmers, Cameron Percy, Michael Wright, Stuart Appleby and Mathew Goggin in the US$ 4 million event, making the strongest representation ever numerically from this part of the world.

Goggin, Percy, Chalmers, Percy, Long and Lee earned their way into the field via Final Qualifying with Percy and Long gaining late starts as alternates from qualifying.  Goggin set a qualifying record with his round of 63 at his particular venue in South Carolina to win by five shots over 90 participants.

Alker, Green, Hensby and Pampling are considered potential contenders for the title, Alker currently in second place on the season-long Schwab Cup money list, Hensby having finished 3rd in this event two years ago, Pampling 4th three years ago and Green finishing runner-up at this year’s Senior PGA Championship.

Bernhard Langer, at the age of 66, will defend the title he won in Wisconsin last year as he chases a 47th title on the PGA Tour Champions and a third US Senior Open.

TEE TIMES

Mathew Goggin – a round of 63 in qualifying  – image USGA

 

/by

Amy Yang earns major championship status

Amy Yang – image PGA of America

In her 75th appearance in a major championship, 34-year-old South Korean Amy Yang has broken through for a first major title with a three-shot victory at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at the Sahalee Country Club near Seattle.

Yang began the final round two ahead of Lauren Hartlage and Japan’s Miyu Yamashita but with an outward nine of 34 and further birdies early in her back nine she had extended her lead to six through 15 holes.

Despite dropping three shots at her next two holes, including a double bogey when finding the water from the tee at the 17th, she held on to win over Lilia Vu, Jin Young Ko and Yamashita.

Yang has recorded a massive 21 top tens in her previous 74 major appearances including twice runner-up but despite a game and demeanor seemingly perfect for major championship golf, she has been unable to break through – until today that is.

“Sorry, I’m lost for the words right now,” said Yang on the 18th green. “It’s all the hard work our team did together, and I’m so grateful for that. All four rounds it was tough out there, but I just trusted what I prepared and just I did my best all week.

“I always wanted to win a major. I came close several times, and I started doubting myself if I ever going to win a major before I retire because I’ve been on tour quite a while. I am so grateful and very, very like, happy to win a major.

“I was so nervous beginning of the day, even night before, and I told Jan (caddie) on the 18th fairway, this has been the longest 18 holes I ever played in my career. I was that much stressed and felt pressure out there. But I think I managed to stay well and stay positive, and of course with him as well he makes things light out there.”

Another benefit of her win was that she will now represent South Korea at the Olympics but was not aware of it immediately.

“I wasn’t aware of it. I really wanted it represent South Korea. That was one of my biggest goals for this year. Missing cuts past few tournaments and I saw my world ranking went down so I wasn’t sure if this winning was enough to make the team. But I made it, so I’m very grateful for that.”

Yang attended Robina State High School on the Gold Coast in Australia in her teens, participated in their golf program there, and was one of the more dominant amateurs during those years, winning the Queensland Amateur and New Zealand Amateur titles.

But it would be her win at the 2006 Australian Ladies Masters as an amateur after receiving an invite from tournament promoter Bob Tuohy that would expedite her arrival into the professional ranks.

The event was a Ladies European Tour event and gave Yang status on that tour and she played there for two years, winning twice before finally securing her full playing rights to the LPGA Tour where she has been ever since.

There had been five LPGA Tour victories prior to today, the biggest coming late in 2023 when winning the CME Tour Championship but this win takes her into a different league as a major winner and might well open the door for more to come.

The Australasians in the field were headed by Hannah Green and Minjee Lee who tied for 24th, Lydia Ko and Gabi Ruffels were 46th, Stephanie Kyriacou was 52nd and Grace Kim 58th.

SCORES 

 

 

/by

Scottie Scheffler wins 6th 2024 title amongst chaotic scenes

Scottie Scheffler – file photo – image PGA of America

Amid chaotic scenes, Scottie Scheffler continued his stunning 2024 PGA Tour season by recording his 6th win of the year when defeating his good friend Tom Kim in a playoff for the Travelers Championship near Hartford in Connecticut.

The pair were tied at 22 under after Kim had holed a ten-footer for birdie at the 72nd hole to draw level with the world number one but after finding the greenside bunker at the first extra hole, Kim was unable to get up and down from a plugged lie and the title and yet another US$3.6 million was Scheffler’s.

But the final stages of the US$20 million event were not without even more drama. As the final trio of Scheffler, Kim and Akshay Bhatia arrived at the 18th green, several climate change protesters burst from the crowd and dispersed a dye-like substance onto the green before being nailed by police and others.

They were surreal scenes but Scheffler and Kim were able to put aside any concerns and return to the 18th tee to commence the playoff.

For Scheffler it would be his 12th PGA Tour title and his PGA Tour earnings in 2024 are now US$27,696,000 and career earnings close to US$70 million.

Scheffler explained his thoughts on the protesters’ involvement at the 72nd hole.

“Fortunately for Tom and me, we were both out there, we’re great friends. So we were able to sit there and kind of relax each other before, because you don’t really know what’s going on, you don’t really understand the situation, you don’t really — there’s people running around everywhere and you don’t really know what’s going to happen.

“So it was a bit confusing. Fortunately, the police did a great job of getting everything in order very quickly. I don’t know how quick it was, but it seemed really fast to us. So we’re very thankful for them.”

Scheffler lavished praise on his friend and playoff opponent, Kim.

“We play a lot of golf at home and play a lot of golf out here too. He’s one of my good buddies. It’s always fun competing against your friends, but it’s also really tough. I feel for him there in the playoff, but I told him he’s a great player and a great champion and I’m proud of him and the putt on 18 was pretty sweet and I’m sure that’s something that he’ll remember for a long time.”

Scheffler has two more events before the FedEx Cup playoffs begin, namely the Open Championship and the Olympics.

Kim earns US$2.16 million for his runner-up finish and continues his remarkable start to his PGA Tour career.

The 22-year-old South Korean spent time in Melbourne in several of his formative golfing years and led the New Zealand Open in Queenstown as a 17-year-old in 2020 before finishing 4th and,  eventually heading for the US in 2022.

Kim earns US$2.1 million for his runner-up finish and his career PGA Tour winnings are already US$16.5 million.

The Australians in the field were led by Adam Scott 39th, Jason Day 44th and Cam Davis 48th.

SCORES

 

 

/by

Amy Yang shares halfway lead KPMG Women’s PGA


Amy Yang in action today – image PGA of America

34-year-old South Korean Amy Yang has taken a share of the halfway lead at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at the Sahalee Country Club near Seattle, a bogey-free best of the day round of 67 having her join the early day two leader, American Sarah Schmelzel.

Yang has strong connections to Australia, especially Queensland, having attended high school on the Gold Coast and, at 16, winning the Australian Ladies Masters before turning professional soon after.

Yang has won five events on the LPGA Tour in addition to events on the Ladies European Tour and the Korean LPGA Tour and although yet to win a major title, she has recorded numerous (21) top tens at that level, two of those runner-up.

Her performance this week has been somewhat of a turnaround in form for her given that she has yet to record a top-ten finish in 2024 and has missed the cut in three of her last four starts but she has a proven record on the big stage and they don’t come much bigger than this week.

“You know, obviously my back had been bothering me last few days, but I was still striking the ball really well like yesterday, and so I thought it would be fine,” said Yang.

“I woke up today and starting few holes was feeling a little pain on my lower back, but I fight through really well and that actually gave me more like focus out there. Make sure I put even more like focus on each shot.”

Yang’s win in the season ending CME last year against such a strong field gave further proof of just how good she can be when it all fulls into place and she indicated as much.

“Definitely gave me a lot of confidence after CME, but also I had some up and downs beginning of the season. So I have to, you know, stay focused and just see what I can do and enjoy.”

30-year-old Schmelzel is into her 6th season on the LPGA Tour but has yet to win an event but today she joined Yang and South Korean Haeran Ryu in recording the best rounds of the day to move into the lead when she finished her round some seven hours ahead of Yang.

Advice from a new instructor has helped Schmelzel take a new frame of mind on to the golf course.

“I saw him after I guess that was U.S. Open,” she said after he round. “I went to go see him and I played — honestly I started to hit it well again at Founders and hit it really well at the U.S. Open; just didn’t putt very well.

“He just told me, I was kind of in that perfection frame of mind. Like, what do I need to do to play well? He said you’re going to play well. Relax and it’s going to happen and believe it.

“So I’ve just been last few weeks thinking of that. Saw some really positive stuff last week and took that into this week.

“He’s just been amazing at the mental side and the process side of it. Really got me dialed into this is your game plan of the day. If you continue to take care of each day then the bigger things will happen, and that’s really helped me just let go of all the other stuff, all the end goals and that kind of thing, and just really focus on the process.”

The pair lead by two over a resurgent Lexi Thompson, Hinako Shibuno and former world number one Jin Young Ko.

Thompson announced recently that this year would be her last as a full-time competitor on the LPGA Tour and given a runner-up placing last week and a great start this week it will be interesting to see if her decision is not reversed.

The Australasian challenge is currently led by Sydney’s Stephanie Kyriacou who is in a share of 12th place at 1 under and five off the lead.

Minjee Lee is 33rd while Hannah Green, Grace Kim, Gabi Ruffels and Lydia Ko are tied in 52nd place at 2 over and eight off the lead.

The shock of the day was the performance of world number one, Nelly Korda, who after an opening round of 69 on Thursday slumped to a round of 81 today to miss the cut by one

“It’s just golf recently for me,” said Korda. “No words for how I’m playing right now. I’m just going to go home and try to reset.”

“A lot went my way at the beginning part of the year, and just giving it back.” she added referring to her six titles earlier in the season.

Leaderboard

 

/by