Nelly Korda misses lower once more after capturing 81 at Ladies’s PGA

SAMMAMISH, Wash. — Nelly Korda was despatched packing early once more Friday within the KPMG Ladies’s PGA Championship, one other surprising downfall after a dominating run.

A stroke behind first-round chief Lexi Thompson after a gap 3-under 69, the top-ranked Korda shot an 81 within the second spherical to overlook the weekend lower by a stroke. Based on ESPN Stats & Data analysis, it was Korda’s worst 18-hole rating as an expert in her LPGA Tour profession and tied for her worst in any LPGA Tour spherical (two others got here as an beginner).

The spherical additionally was the best in a significant championship by a top-ranked participant because the inception of the rating in 2006.

Korda additionally missed the cuts within the U.S. Ladies’s Open — opening with an 80 — and the Meijer LPGA Traditional in her previous two begins after successful six of seven occasions, a run that began with a record-tying 5 straight victories.

“It is simply golf not too long ago for me,” Korda mentioned. “No phrases for a way I’m taking part in proper now. I am simply going to go dwelling and attempt to reset.”

Whereas Korda struggled within the heat afternoon circumstances that sped up tree-lined Sahalee Nation Membership, Sarah Schmelzel and Amy Yang shared the lead at 6-under 136. Schmelzel had a 67 within the morning, and Yang shot 68 within the afternoon.

Korda bogeyed the primary 4 holes and likewise dropped strokes on Nos. 6 and 9 in a front-nine 42. She bogeyed Nos. 11 and 14, had a double bogey on the 15 and made her lone birdie of the day on 18.

Schmelzel, the 30-year-old Arizonan who winless in six seasons on the LPGA Tour, made a 10-foot birdie putt on the par-3 seventeenth gap and stayed aggressive on the par-5 18th, knocking her 3-wood wanting the inexperienced and chipping to a foot for a tap-in birdie and the low spherical of the championship.

“Simply staying actually affected person on the market and aggressive off the tee was type of our recreation plan this week,” Schmelzel mentioned. “I drove (the ball) rather well, so thankfully capable of make the most of having some shorter irons in at the moment.”

Yang is looking for her first main title. Coping with a again difficulty, she had the one bogey-free spherical of the event.

The five-time LPGA winner had no hassle with the firmness of the poa annua greens within the afternoon, efficiently scrambling for par in all eight makes an attempt. She hit her 97-yard third shot on 18 to a foot to arrange a birdie.

“Fairways are so tight,” Yang mentioned. “It’s totally difficult on the market.”

Thompson (72) was two strokes again with fellow main champions Jin Younger Ko (68), and Hinako Shibuno (70).

Beginning on the again 9, Thompson turned in 3 underneath 33 to succeed in 7 underneath, however made a double bogey on the par-5 second gap. Her second shot missed left, forcing a punch-out, and she or he three-putted for a 7. Thompson dropped one other shot on the par-4 fourth.

The 29-year-old Thompson, who not too long ago introduced this season shall be her final taking part in a full schedule, misplaced a playoff final week on the Meijer LPGA Traditional. She hasn’t gained on the LPGA Tour since June 2019.

“You are going to hit some unhealthy pictures, possibly get penalized by the bushes,” Thompson mentioned. “You simply must take your medication with both pitching out or getting again into place.”

Hae Ran Ryu matched the low spherical of the event with a 67 to get to three underneath with Miyu Yamashita (70) and Leona Maguire (71),

“Course is firming up so much,” Maguire mentioned. “It is dried out fairly a bit.”

Brooke Henderson, who gained the Ladies’s PGA the earlier time it was performed at Sahalee in 2016, shot 72 and was 1 over.

The Related Press contributed to this report.