Girls’s PGA Championship: In Gee Chun extends lead after record-breaking opening spherical

June 25, 2022

Ranked thirty third on the planet, the South Korean shot a three-under 69 to maneuver six strokes clear at Congressional Nation Membership in Bethesda, Maryland, and speed up her pursuit of a 3rd profession main.

New Zealand’s Lydia Ko and Jennifer Kupcho of the USA lead the chasing pack after carding 67 and 68 respectively.

A sensational begin Thursday had seen Chun, 27, sink 9 birdies en path to carding an eight-under 64 that tied the bottom opening spherical in Girls’s PGA Championship historical past and established a brand new file for Congressional’s Blue course, transformed in 2021.

Extremely, Chun had held a seven-shot lead on her return to the clubhouse, along with her ferocious begin catching the eyes of many throughout the golf world — none extra so than two-time main winner Justin Thomas.

“I can not cease staring on the leaderboard. Main by 7 midway through day 1!!!!” Thomas tweeted.

Although the margin had been minimize to 5 by compatriot Hye-Jin Choi and Thailand’s Pornanong Phatlum by the day’s shut, Chun’s benefit nonetheless leveled the most important first spherical main lead in girls’s golf historical past.

Chun’s feat was made much more spectacular by the actual fact many gamers had struggled with the consequences of in a single day rain, with Choi and Phatlum the one different gamers to shoot below 70.

‘I do not know what course In Gee is enjoying’

Defending champion Nelly Korda, having shot 71, marveled at Chun’s efforts.

“I do not know what golf course In Gee is enjoying,” Korda mentioned Thursday.

“She should be enjoying very well. I might assume after I teed it up as we speak, I might be very pleased with the rating that I shot.

“I feel in the beginning a part of the day you noticed some greater numbers. In Gee is simply enjoying very well, and applause to her. Generally it simply must be your week, proper? You are going to proceed to stay to your sport plan and hopefully shoot some good numbers coming into Sunday.”

Champion on the US Girls’s Open in 2015 and the Evian Championship a yr later, victory in Bethesda would finish Chun’s six-year wait for an additional main.

A win would additionally see her declare $1.35 million of a Girls’s PGA Championship file $9m purse, with the prize cash doubled that of final yr’s occasion. Minjee Lee’s victory on the US Open in June noticed the Australian take residence the very best payout in girls’s golf historical past, incomes $1.8m of the $10m complete purse.

And after a strong second spherical noticed the South Korean card 5 birdies to take care of a wholesome lead, Chun is ready on sustaining her focus in her pursuit of the title.

“I really feel like after I had an awesome first spherical, it is now a sport that is going extra me versus me,” she informed reporters Saturday.

“I hold attempting to make good focus, and I simply need to hold attempting what I did final two days. I feel that is the important thing to make win this week. Simply drift, do what I can do.”