MIDLAND, Mich. — Grace Kim had a hole-in-one and mixed with Auston Kim for eight birdies in a fourballs format Friday for a 9-under 61 and a five-way share of the lead within the Dow Championship.
The perfect rating within the second spherical belonged to the Danish pair of Nicole Broch Estrup and Olympics-bound Nanna Koertz Madsen, who birdied their final two holes for a 60.
Ally Ewing and Jennifer Kupcho of the US had a 64, the identical rating they’d in foursomes through the opening spherical. The Thailand tandem of Jaravee Boonchant and Chanettee Wannasaen additionally had a 64, whereas the Taiwan duo of Ssu-chia Cheng and Wei-Ling Hsu had a 63.
The 5 main pairs had been at 12-under 128, resulting in a wide-open weekend at Midland Nation Membership within the LPGA Tour’s solely official workforce occasion.
Three different groups, together with Charley Hull and Georgia Corridor of England, had been one shot behind. Lexi Thompson and Brooke Henderson had been amongst these two behind.
Auston Kim couldn’t keep in mind the par 3 the place she and her 23-year-old Australian teammate made a bogey — uncommon for the fourballs format — however there was no forgetting the par-3 seventh. They had been only one underneath for the spherical on the time, and Auston Kim hit first to twenty ft.
Grace Kim felt sufficient wind that she went up one membership to a three-quarter 7-iron, and it seemed good all the way in which.
“Was clearly simply making an attempt to place it shut. All I see is it sort of disappear. I’ve had numerous shut shades, and that is truly my first one. So very thrilling,” Grace Kim mentioned.
They birdied the following gap after which had 5 birdies on the again 9, which didn’t embrace the lone par 5 on the again.
“Quite a lot of good got here from that gap, courtesy of Grace,” Auston Kim mentioned. “It felt actually constructive going ahead from there.”
The Danes performed late within the afternoon and had a 10-shot deficit to make up once they acquired began. Koertz Madsen had an eagle on the par-5 third gap, and the duo surged right into a share of the lead with birdies on the seventeenth and the par-3 closing gap.
Ewing and Kupcho had three birdies of their opening 4 holes, picked up three extra birdies on the again 9 and had been by no means in deep trouble all through the day.
“Jen performed actually stable,” Ewing mentioned. “We had numerous beauty, which while you’re taking part in greatest ball like that, for those who each have birdie putts, that is actually massive. And he or she made a number of birdies immediately. It was good to see one other good rating, particularly in greatest ball.”
Cheng and Hsu picked up a bonus shot when Cheng holed out for eagle on the par-4 twelfth.
“Positively pumped us up so much,” Cheng mentioned. “I favored the strategy quantity, and I attempted to be on the market and have a very good tempo and put a very good swing on it, and it went in. We had been simply actually joyful.”
“She simply does not wish to give me an opportunity to hit a second shot,” Hsu added.
