Yealimi Noh gets first LPGA win by 4 shots over Jin Young Ko at the Founders Cup
BRADENTON, Fla. — Yealimi Noh turned a one-shot deficit into a three-shot lead over Jin Young Ko in the span of two holes on the back nine on Sunday and cruised from there to her first LPGA victory in the Founders Cup.
The 23-year-old from Northern California closed with a bogey-free, 3-under 68 for a four-day total of 21-under 263 at Bradenton Country Club, four shots better than Ko (71). Noh made her last bogey of the week on her final hole of Friday's second round, then surged into the lead Saturday with a 63.
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Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Yahoo
Lexi Thompson just one off the lead at Meijer LPGA Classic after stellar finish
BELMONT - As Lexi Thompson's approach on 18 landed and found the green, Thompson did something she hadn't for most of her round - she smiled. It was a moment of triumph and relief for Thompson, who birdied 18 and had three birdies in her final four holes to pull within one shot of the lead heading into the weekend at the Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give at Blythefield Country Club. Advertisement Thompson, who birdied the first hole on Friday, June 13, had one bogey and 12 pars in the next 13 holes before finishing strong. She had a 3-under Friday and is at 7-under heading into the weekend one shot off the lead shared by four golfers. "I started off well, then kind of fizzled a little bit. I just tried to stay positive. I wanted to get seven birdie looks in the last seven holes, and unfortunately, they were longer looks than I wanted, but ended up with a few birdies coming in," Thompson said. "My first birdie coming in on 15, I ended up making a put off the collar that I wasn't really expecting, down the hill right to left. I was just trying to par, but I really just wanted to stay confident over the last couple of holes coming in. "There were a few par saves that were important to keep me in it. Just staying patient out there because it got really windy. You have to know birdie holes are out there." More: Four eagles crowd leaderboard at Meijer LPGA Classic; Lexi Thompson in mix Advertisement More: Daughter of Michigan State coach makes LPGA debut at Meijer as Monday-qualifier Thompson won this event in 2015 and has been in contention nearly every year at Blythefield. She finished second last year at 16-under. In the 10 Meijer LPGA Classics she has played in, she has finished second three times, in the top five a total of five times and in the top 10 six times. She finished 20th once (despite shooting 15-under), 41st (her first time at Blythefield) once and missed the cut once. No one has had that kind of extended success at Blythefield except Thompson, despite two wins for Brooke Henderson and a spectacular three-year stretch for Leona Maguire. Thompson has been in contention eight of 10 times she has played the course. Lexi Thompson looks down the fairway after driving the golf ball during the second day of the LPGA Classic on June 13. And after two rounds this year, she is in contention again for the 11th time. Advertisement "It is an amazing tournament in general. We always look forward to coming back here. The golf course is always in great shape. The way the community gets behind the tournament and gives back, that is what we really like about it. It is not just a golf tournament," Thompson said. Morning an advantage again at Meijer LPGA Classic The first round saw an 8-under, 7-under and several bunched in the 6-5-4-under range, bunching the leaderboard. Four players in the top 10 registered eagles in the opening round. It wasn't eagles, but birdies difficult to come by in the second round in the afternoon especially. Advertisement Those birdies that generally come a little easier at Blythefield Country Club. A few players who teed off early in the morning had a string of birdies, but it was not the same in the afternoon. Carlota Ciganda had seven birdies in the second round in one of the early groups, but also had a couple of bogeys and finished 6-under for the round and 8-under for the tournament. Celine Boutier had a similar round with seven birdies and three bogies to finish 4-under for the day and 8-under for the tournament. Hye-Jin Choi was 4-under for the second day in a row to tie Ciganda and Boutier at 8-under. One afternoon player had a share of the lead as Karis Davidson shot a 2-under, with a birdie on 18, to share the lead at 8-under. Advertisement Nanna Koerst Madsen was one shot behind after an up-and-down round that saw her double-bogey the first hole, but then nail eight birdies to finish 6-under for the day and 7-under heading into the weekend. Contact sports editor Dan D'Addona at Dan.D'Addona@ Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter @DanDAddona or Facebook @HollandSentinelSports. This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Lexi Thompson one off the lead at Meijer LPGA Classic
Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Yahoo
Boutier, Ciganda among four-way tie for lead at Meijer LPGA Classic
Celine Boutier of France is part of a four-way tie for the lead after two rounds of the Meijer LPGA Classic in Michigan (Raj Mehta) Celine Boutier had seven birdies and three bogeys in a rollercoaster four-under-par 68 on Friday to join Carlota Ciganda, Choi Hye-jin and Karis Davidson atop the leaderboard midway through the Meijer LPGA Classic in Michigan. France's Boutier coped admirably with the breezy conditions at Blythefield Country Club to put herself in position to challenge for a seventh LPGA title and a first since she claimed three in 2023. Advertisement Ciganda and Choi both shot five-under-par 67s to join her on eight-under 136 while Davidson had two birdies in her last three holes in a two-under 70. "Very satisfied with my round," Boutier said. "I feel like I made a lot of birdies, a few bogeys as well but I was able to handle the wind quite well today and was able to make a few putts, which really helped me out." Boutier, 31, teed off on 10 and birdied the 12th and 14th, then followed a bogey at 15 with birdies at 16 and 18. She gave a stroke back at the first, birdied the third and fifth and after a bogey at the seventh birdied the eighth to seize her share of the lead. Advertisement "I definitely feel like today you had to take into account the wind a little bit more," Boutier said. "Even putting and stuff, sometimes you have to back out a little bit because it was kind of gusty." Ciganda had seven birdies and two bogeys in a five-under round she called "very solid". "Stayed patient out there," Ciganda, a two-time LPGA winner, said. "The back nine I hit good shots and made really good putts coming in," added the Spaniard, who needed 28 putts for the round. Choi Hye-jin, who is seeking her first LPGA title, had six birdies and a bogey, seizing her share of the lead with birdies at the 16th and 18th. Advertisement The leading trio had a one-shot lead over a group of six players on a congested leaderboard. Denmark's Nanna Koerstz Madsen, Americans Lexi Thompson and Amanda Doherty, England's Bronte Law, Australian Minjee Lee and Paraguay's Sofia Garcia were all tied on 137. Australian Grace Kim, who started the day one shot off the lead, was tied atop the leaderboard at eight-under before two late bogeys and finished the day among another a half-dozen players sharing 11th on 138 -- just two shots off the lead. Overnight leader Lee Mi-hyang of South Korea carded a three-over 75 and was in a group of eight players on 139. bb/rcw
Washington Post
15 hours ago
- Washington Post
A year after playoff loss, Lexi Thompson back in contention at Meijer LPGA Classic
BELMONT, Mich. — Lexi Thompson was back in contention going into the weekend in her beloved Meijer LPGA Classic, a year after a playoff loss at Blythefield County Club. Making her sixth start of the season in a part-time tour schedule, Thompson birdied three of the last four holes in breezy afternoon conditions for a 3-under 69 and a 7-under total. The 2015 winner at Blythefield was a stroke behind leaders Karis Davidson, Carlota Ciganda, Hye-Jin Choi and Celine Boutier. 'The golf course is one thing. It's always in great shape for us, which we always look forward to,' Thompson said after the bogey-free round on the tree-lined layout. 'But the amount of support that the tournament gets and also how Meijer gives back to the community as well. It's not just a tournament. It's much bigger than that.' The 30-year-old from Florida won the last of her 11 LPGA Tour titles in 2019. 'Some days are harder than others and we get frustrated, but at the end of the day it is just golf,' said Thompson, also set to play next week in the major KPMG Women's PGA Championship in Texas. Davidson, playing in the second-to-last group off the first tee, birdied the par-4 16th and par-5 18th for a 70. 'We just really hung in there today,' Davidson said. 'Was a bit of a grind, and nice to get the couple birdies at the end.' Ciganda and Choi each shot 67, and Boutier had a 68, all playing the morning session. 'Coming here the week before a major obviously gives you confidence for playing next week,' Ciganda said. 'The course is one that I like. I enjoy coming here, and it's always fun playing in Grand Rapids.' Thompson was joined at 7 under by Nanna Koerstz Madsen (68), Amanda Doherty (69), Bronte Law (69), Minjee Lee (70) and Sofia Garcia (71). Grace Kim, also part of the playoff last year that Lilia Vu won, was 6 under after a 73. She bogeyed two of her last three holes to fall out of a tie for the lead. Mi Hyang Lee, the first-round leader after a 64, had a 75 to drop to 5 under. With the major days away at PGA Frisco, only three of the top 10 in the world are at Blythefield. Haeran Ryu, at No. 5 the highest-ranked player in the field, followed an opening 69 with a 74 to make the cut on the number at 1 under. Vu missed the cut with rounds of 77 and 75. ___ AP golf:
