Yan Liu has an albatross, late birdie to lead the Chevron Championship
THE WOODLANDS, Texas (AP) — Yan Liu had an albatross to offset three front-nine bogeys and rebounded from a late bogey for an even-par 72 and a one-stroke lead over four players Friday in the Chevron Championship, the first women's major tournament of the year.
Top-ranked Nelly Korda rallied late in the afternoon to make the cut in her title defence, following an opening 77 with a 68. She won last year at The Club at Carlton Woods for the last of her record-tying five straight victories.
She used a different putter Friday.
'I putted for an hour-and-a-half after the round yesterday, so just needed something different,' Korda said. 'Sometimes that's all you need.'
Fog delayed the start of play, with nine players unable to finish the round because of darkness.
Liu, the 27-year-old Chinese player who shared the first-round lead with Haeran Ryu after a 65, admitted she would feel some pressure Saturday.
'I think, definitely, I will feel a little bit, because, well, this is major,' Liu said. 'I know the course is going to be harder, harder, so I think I just stay patient, calm because I'm very emotional person.'
Hyo Joo Kim (71) was a stroke back with Lindy Duncan (66), Sarah Schmelzel (68) and Mao Saigo (68). Kim won the Ford Championship a month ago in Arizona for her seventh LPGA Tour title, while the other four players at the top of the leaderboard are winless.
Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., and Alena Sharp of Hamilton, Ont., are tied for 46th at 1 over, eight shots back of the leader. Savannah Grewal of Mississauga is tied for 109th at 6 over.
Liu holed her 175-yard second shot on the 505-yard, downwind par-5 eighth with a 7-iron for the albatross.
'I saw the ball how to go in, so that's really cool thing,' Liu said. 'But I think they don't have video for that hole. Little sad.'
Liu then bogeyed No. 9 and opened the back nine with seven pars. She dropped into a six-way tied for the lead with a bogey on the par-3 17th. Her tee shot hopped left into fluffy Bermuda rough, she chunked her second to the fringe and missed a 15-foot par try.
She got the stroke back with a 15-foot birdie putt on the par-5 18th, finishing about an hour before sunset.
'Last hole, is my first birdie today,' Liu said. 'I'm glad I made it.
Ryu had a 74 to fall two strokes back in a group with Angel Yin (70), Manon De Roey (71) and Hye-Jin Choi (71). Weiwei Zhang also was 5 under with three holes left when play was suspended.
Lexi Thompson was 4 under, following an opening 73 with a 67. The 30-year-old Florida player retired from full-time play at the end of last season.
'I'm still practising and training,' Thompson said. 'I love working out. I'm still striving to be better for when I do tee it up because every time I tee it up I still want to win. It's not like I'm just going out here to show face. I'm still very competitive, but just trying to enjoy the few times I will play.'
She won the 2014 event — then the Kraft Nabisco Championship — at Mission Hills in Rancho Mirage, Calif.
___
AP golf:
https://apnews.com/hub/golf
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Storylines to follow during June's second huge visit weekend
Nick Lucero/ It's the second massive weekend of official visits and camps across the country. Rivals national recruiting director Adam Gorney looks at 12 major storylines to watch. MORE: Several elite quarterbacks hitting the road for pivotal official visits RECRUITING RUMOR MILL: Latest buzz on nearly three dozen prospects | June kicks off with a bang | Baltimore | Detroit NEW RIVALS250 RELEASED: Ranking | Top storylines | Ten prospects who could rise with a big June CLASS OF 2026 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State CLASS OF 2027 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State TRANSFER PORTAL: Full coverage | Player ranking | Team ranking | Transfer search | Transfer Tracker RIVALS CAMP SERIES: Rivals Five-Star heading back to Indy | Rivals Five-Star roster | Schedule/info CLOSING TIME FOR BAMA It's a big weekend at Alabama with a handful of top targets that the Crimson Tide should close on in town as well. Advertisement Five-star safety Jireh Edwards was at Auburn last weekend but the chatter is that Alabama is out front in his recruitment. Former USC four-star linebacker commit Xavier Griffin, an Alabama legacy, will also be there. He's coming off a phenomenal Ohio State trip but the Crimson Tide have the edge there, too. Four-star QB Matt Ponatoski, who wants to play baseball and football in college, is visiting as Alabama, Oregon and others are involved. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH ALABAMA FANS AT CAN AUBURN SHOCK WITH FIVE-STAR QB? Auburn has another big weekend as coach Hugh Freeze has the recruiting train rolling strong on The Plains but the biggest outcome of this entire week could be the Tigers making a serious move with 2027 five-star quarterback Elijah Haven. Advertisement The Baton Rouge (La.) Dunham standout made his first visit to Auburn this week and already said he plans to be back because he loves coach Freeze and position coach Kent Austin. LSU is considered the front-runner and could be tough to beat but Haven has some thinking to do now. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH LSU FANS AT FLIP WATCH AND MORE AT FLORIDA Auburn defensive end commit Hezekiah Harris is coming to Gainesville as he's more seriously looking at some others. Michigan defensive back pledge Brody Jennings and Florida State receiver commit Darryon Williams will be there, too. On top of some major flip candidates, Florida will also have four-star edge rusher Jake Kreul there and while Oklahoma might have the edge and Ohio State blew him away last weekend, the Gators are making a serious move for him. High three-star offensive lineman Chancellor Campbell is coming, too, as Florida and Georgia are engaged in a major battle. Five-star receiver Cederian Morgan is expected and while Florida is a long shot, it gets its chance this weekend. Advertisement SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH FLORIDA FANS AT 1ST AND TEN FLORIDA DL WATCH AT GEORGIA Vodney Cleveland. Dre Quinn. Kendall Guervil. PJ Dean. Ebenezer Ewetade. It's a loaded defensive line list coming to Athens this weekend and it wouldn't be a shock at all to see coach Kirby Smart and his staff close on some of those big names down the stretch. There are some others that Georgia has some work on. Four-star running back Savion Hiter is expected as Ohio State, Tennessee and others are involved there. Four-star, long, athletic defensive back Tamarion Watkins is also expected in Athens as South Carolina could have the edge there. Smart is the best recruiter in college football, though, so another big weekend awaits in Athens. Advertisement SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH GEORGIA FANS AT FAHEY GOES TO BLOOMINGTON One of the last uncommitted quarterbacks in the class is Luke Fahey as Stanford and Indiana are the two front-runners pending a visit to Ohio State later this month. The Mission Viejo, Calif., standout had an excellent visit to Stanford last weekend and it's tough to beat sitting down with general manager Andrew Luck. But there is serious intrigue in the Hoosiers and the opportunity there. Of course, this could all collapse later this month if Ohio State offers but until then it's really a two-team race. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH INDIANA FANS AT THOMALLA BACK AT IOWA STATE Landing a commitment from four-star quarterback Jett Thomalla was a massive recruiting win for Iowa State in April. Keeping him will now be the challenge. The Omaha (Neb.) Millard South standout visited Alabama this weekend and the Crimson Tide want him to return for another trip soon. In between all this, Thomalla will be back in Ames this weekend. Advertisement Alabama is Alabama and the Crimson Tide need a quarterback so that's tempting. But Iowa State recruited Thomalla so well. How this plays out down the stretch will be interesting. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH IOWA STATE FANS AT PREMER WATCH IN LAWRENCE There has been a serious influx of tight end talent from small-town Kansas the last two recruiting cycles. Last time, four-star Linkon Cure from Goodland chose Kansas State over Oregon and others. This recruiting class, Ian Premer from Great Bend (population 14,000) has Kansas, Kansas State, Iowa State, Michigan and Notre Dame as his favorites. Advertisement The talk, though, is that Iowa State has a slight edge over Kansas right now. This will be a crucial weekend for the Jayhawks to turn that tide ever-so-slightly in their favor to keep the talented 6-foot-5 225-pound tight end home. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH KANSAS FANS AT BENTLEY BACK AT OKLAHOMA A better understanding of where everything stands with four-star quarterback Bowe Bentley should occur after this weekend. The Celina, Texas standout was at LSU last weekend and had a fantastic visit with offensive coordinator Joe Sloan and many others. But the word has been that the Sooners hold the edge in his recruitment so it's a big weekend for new offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle and others. The feeling is that Arbuckle wants Bentley in this class so it's a big early test for him in Norman this weekend. Advertisement SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH OKLAHOMA FANS AT MASSIVE WEEKEND IN EUGENE It's been written enough that Oregon has had a tough couple weeks losing quarterback Jonas Williams to USC, five-star quarterback Jared Curtis to Georgia and five-star offensive lineman Jackson Cantwell to Miami. Now is the time for another major recruiting weekend in Eugene where the Ducks could load up. It's a huge list. Five-star linebacker Tyler Atkinson is coming back. Five-star defensive end Richard Wesley, who was committed to the Ducks but backed off since those close to him didn't sign off, will be back and that could be huge. Five-star athlete Brandon Arrington will be there as Texas A&M and others battle for him. Coach Dan Lanning is one of the best and weekend like this are becoming the norm. DUCKWORTH BACK TO SOUTH CAROLINA Last weekend, four-star quarterback Landon Duckworth went to Auburn and got a massive recruiting pitch from coach Hugh Freeze. That could be compelling and the Jackson, Ala., standout didn't seem fazed by having Jackson Arnold and Deuce Knight in the QB room. There appears to be enough NIL money to go around. Advertisement There has been some chatter that South Carolina is once again very much in this recruitment (he was committed to the Gamecocks earlier) but Ole Miss is not going away easily. This is a crucial weekend for coach Shane Beamer and his staff. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH SOUTH CAROLINA FANS AT BIG DOGS HEAD TO AUSTIN It's not a massive list but an important group is heading to Texas this weekend and even though there are some long shots, coach Steve Sarkisian and his staff know how to take a big swing. No. 1 running back Ezavier Crowell is coming and even though Alabama will be tough to beat and Georgia is pushing, Texas has always been held high by him. Texas A&M and LSU lead for five-star OL/DL Lamar Brown so it's crucial to get him in Austin and see what they can do. Four-star edge rusher Jamarion Carlton is a big visitor along with four-star cornerback Davon Benjamin among others. Advertisement SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH TEXAS FANS AT BIG OPPORTUNITY AT TEXAS A&M It's a huge weekend at Texas A&M with a ton of opportunities to woo recruits. Fresh off working out at Ole Miss, five-star LSU receiver commit Tristen Keys will be in College Station. So will four-star nickel Bralan Womack, four-star offensive lineman John Turntine, Tank Jones, Tank King and many others. Some big targets - like five-star Lamar Brown - are visiting elsewhere but the Aggies have a huge opportunity this weekend with so many big names. Coach Mike Elko and his staff appear to be on the verge of really turning this thing around. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH TEXAS A&M FANS AT
Hamilton Spectator
an hour ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Stuttgart signs French right back Lorenz Assignon from Rennes
STUTTGART, Germany (AP) — Stuttgart has signed French right back Lorenz Assignon from Rennes for a reported fee of over 11 million euros ($12.6 million). The 24-year-old Assignon signed a contract through June 2029, the Bundesliga club said Friday. 'This is a club with a great tradition and fantastic fans,' Assignon told the club website . 'I've watched them a number of times on TV and I like the way they play. I'm relishing the challenge that lies ahead of me and want to play my part in the future success of VfB.' Assignon scored three goals in 32 league appearances for Rennes last season, when the team finished 12th. He previously played half a season on loan at Premier League side Burney under current Bayern Munich coach Vincent Kompany. 'With his ball skills and his energy levels, Lorenz is going to fit in very well with our playing style,' Stuttgart sporting director Christian Gentner said. 'Over the past few years, he has shown his qualities in Ligue 1 and in the Premier League and acquired some important experience.' Rennes is establishing a reputation for helping develop some of Europe's most exciting players, including Champions League winners Désiré Doué and Ousmane Dembélé of Paris Saint-Germain, Barcelona star Raphinha, Real Madrid's Eduardo Camavinga, and Jérémy Doku of Manchester City. Stuttgart won the German Cup this season but its Bundesliga campaign was affected by Champions League participation as it only finished ninth in the league. ___ AP soccer:
San Francisco Chronicle
an hour ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Arsenal defender Gabriel signs new long-term contract
LONDON (AP) — Arsenal center back Gabriel Magalhaes signed a new long-term deal Friday that will reportedly keep the Brazil international at the club until 2029. Gabriel missed the last two months of the season with a hamstring injury but has formed a formidable partnership with France international William Saliba to anchor an Arsenal defense that has been the best in the Premier League. 'I arrived here as a young player and after almost five years I'm so happy and I've learned a lot,' Gabriel said. 'I'm so proud of myself, it's an amazing journey, and I'm so happy to continue it.' The 27-year-old defender joined the Gunners in 2020 from French club Lille and has played 210 games in all competitions. He has scored 20 goals for Arsenal, becoming a major threat at corners and other set pieces. Gabriel was handed an extension even though his previous contract did not expire until 2027, signaling his importance to coach Mikel Arteta. Arsenal did not confirm the length of the contract, but British media reported it was a four-year deal. With Gabriel in the defensive line, Arsenal conceded the fewest goals in the last two seasons in the Premier League. ___
