LOS ANGELES – South Korea’s Kim Sei-young, Spain’s Carlota Ciganda and Americans Angel Yin and Rose Zhang shared the lead after the second day of stroke play at the LPGA Matchplay tournament on April 4.
The revamped format for the event at Shadow Creek in Las Vegas features three rounds of stroke play with the top eight advancing to weekend matchplay.
Ciganda fired a bogey-free five-under 67 to seize a share of the lead on four-under 140 with Yin (68); Zhang (73), and first-round leader Kim (74).
“I’ve been hitting lots of greens and that’s key at Shadow Creek,” Ciganda said. “If you can hit fairways and greens and avoid those bogeys, those mistakes, I think it’s big.
“And my putting was working. I made some good putts, five birdies, no bogeys, so very happy.”
Ireland’s Leona Maguire and Japan’s Minami Katsu each fired 69 to share fifth on 141, while Japan’s Yuka Saso (74) and England’s Jodi Ewart Shadoff (68) were two shots further back.
The eight are in the running for a place in the quarter-finals on April 6, but a host of players are ready to stake their claims in the third round of stroke play, which took place after press time.
“Tomorrow is going to be really tough,” Yin said.
“I almost think it’s tougher than the matchplay itself. Only eight people get to go on and you could be out there playing in a play-off with 10 people.”
Leading those trying to break into the top eight were Canada’s Brooke Henderson (71), Sweden’s Maja Stark (71), South Korea’s An Na-rin (68) and Stephanie Meadow (72) of Northern Ireland on 144.
World No. 1 Nelly Korda, seeking a fourth consecutive victory, and France’s third-ranked Celine Boutier, were in a pack on 146 after carding rounds of 73.
Yin stumbled late with a bogey at 15 but answered with birdies at the par-five 16th and 18th to claim a share of the lead.
“Putting really worked,” she said. “I’m playing really well. Just need to stick to my game plan and see how far it takes me.”
Zhang, who played in the afternoon with brisk winds, owned a two-stroke lead but closed with back-to-back bogeys to bring her down into a pack.
“I knew today was going to be a grind and it proved to be,” she said. “I’ve played in difficult conditions before, but this definitely was up there in terms of difficulty.”
Zhang, 20, won the Americas Open last June to become the first player to win on her LPGA pro debut since Beverly Hanson in 1951.
Kim made her only birdies of the day on the closing two holes to lift herself into a share of the lead.
“It was a very tough day,” said the 31-year-old. “I’m very happy it was just two over.”
Kim, ranked 39th, has won 12 LPGA titles but none since the November 2020 Pelican Championship, which came a month after her lone Major win at the Women’s PGA Championship. AFP
