June 22, 2024, 12:01 am ET
Nelly Korda was sent off again early Friday at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, another shocking fall after a dominant race.
One stroke behind first-round leader Lexi Thompson after an opening 3-under 69, top-ranked Korda shot a second-round 81 to miss the weekend cut by one stroke. According to KeynoteUSA Stats & Information, it was Korda’s worst 18-hole finish as a professional in her LPGA Tour career and tied for the worst in any round on the LPGA Tour (two others came as amateurs).
The round was also the highest in a major championship for a higher-ranked player since the inception of the rankings in 2006.
Korda also missed cuts at the US Women’s Open (opening with an 80) and the Meijer LPGA Classic in her last two starts after winning six of seven events, a streak that began with a record-tying five straight victories.
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“For me, lately it’s just golf,” Korda said. “There are no words about how I’m playing right now. I’ll just go home and try to reset.”
As Korda struggled in the warm afternoon conditions that revved up the tree-lined Sahalee Country Club, Sarah Schmelzel and Amy Yang shared the lead at 6-under 136. Schmelzel had a 67 in the morning and Yang shot 68 in the afternoon.
Korda bogeyed the first four holes and lost strokes on Nos. 6 and 9 in a 42 on the front nine. He bogeyed Nos. 11 and 14, had a double bogey on No. 15 and made his only birdie of the day on No. 18.
Schmelzel, the 30-year-old Arizonan who hasn’t won in six seasons on the LPGA Tour, made a 10-foot birdie putt on the par-3 17th and stayed aggressive on the par-5 18th, leaving her 3-wood short. of the green and jumping within a foot for a birdie and the low round of the championship.
“Staying very patient and aggressive off the tee was our game plan this week,” Schmelzel said. “I drove (the ball) really well, so luckily I was able to take advantage of having some shorter irons today.”
Yang is seeking his first major title. Dealing with a back problem, he had the only ghost-free round of the tournament.
The five-time LPGA winner had no problems with the firmness of the poa annua greens in the afternoon, managing to make par in all eight attempts. He made his third shot from 97 yards in 18 feet to set up a birdie.
“The streets are very narrow,” Yang said. “It’s very challenging out there.”
Thompson (72) was two shots behind major champions Jin Young Ko (68) and Hinako Shibuno (70).
Starting on the back nine, Thompson shot a 3-under 33 to get to 7 under, but made double bogey on the par-5 second hole. His second shot missed left, forcing a strikeout, and three-putted for a 7. Thompson hit another shot at the par-4 fourth.
Thompson, 29, who recently announced that this season will be her last playing a full schedule, lost a playoff last week at the Meijer LPGA Classic. He has not won on the LPGA Tour since June 2019.
“You’re going to make some bad shots and maybe get penalized by the trees,” Thompson said. “You just have to take your medicine whether it’s throwing or getting back into position.”
Hae Ran Ryu matched the low round of the tournament with a 67 to be 3 under with Miyu Yamashita (70) and Leona Maguire (71).
“The field is consolidating a lot,” Maguire said. “It’s pretty dry.”
Brooke Henderson, who won the Women’s PGA the previous time it was played at Sahalee in 2016, shot 72 and was 1 over.
The KeynoteUSA contributed to this report.
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