Don’t look now but the world’s No. 1 — Jin Young Ko — is getting back in the groove at the CME Group Tour Championship.
This is only her third event back and she’s the halfway leader after a Friday 67 at Tiburon put her in the clubhouse at nine-under par.
This one has the makings of a world-class race to Sunday’s finish with $1.1 million awaiting the winner. World No. 2 and defending champion Sei Young Kim struggled a bit with her game on day two but still managed to shoot 69 and she’s a shot behind Ko at eight-under, tied with first-round leader Lexi Thompson.
Thompson had every opportunity to get into double-digits under par after her opening 65 but her putting resorted to its lesser form. She missed no less than three birdie putts inside seven feet, including one at the 17th hole where she made what looked like a near impossible sand shot from a bunker 20 yards short of the green. She had virtually no stance and had to take her club up quickly to avoid hitting the back wall of the rivetted bunker. With brother Curtis on the bag coaching her on how to play the shot, she executed it to perfection and wound up with a six-footer for birdie. She failed to convert and a closing par left her with a 71.
The day started with some colder temperatures for southwest Florida. But by mid-day, it was sunny and comfortable with temperatures in the mid-60s. But scoring was a bit more difficult as there was enough of a breeze to get the attention of the players.
Nelly Korda, the top-ranked American in the field, had a good day, shooting 66 and she’s one of six players in at six-under, a shot back of Hannah Green (69-68).
The day’s low round belonged to Lydia Ko, who fashioned a 65 that tied Thompson for low round of the tournament. Ko got herself into contention at five-under going into the final 36 holes.
This tournament is the season finale for the LPGA Tour.
The 2021 schedule was unveiled on Friday with these observations by LPGA Tour commissioner Mike Whan:
“We can all agree that 2020, while certainly not the 70th anniversary year that we expected, was a year that we will never forget. As we look back at the year, I am amazed at how our partnerships have actually grown during this trying time, and how the LPGA staff was able to return all three tours to play in summer 2020. We actually added sponsorship sales in 2020 in the form of new title partners and new marketing partners, and we proved that professional golf can be played safely for all involved. And our fans responded. Social engagement is up more than 40 percent and television viewership is up more than 30 percent over last year.
“As we look to 2021, we are recapturing the momentum that we had at the beginning of 2020 and we are excited about our future, which will include news of new title sponsors and several significant purse increases.”
CME Group Tour Championship Scoreboard:
LPGA Tour 2020 winners, 2021 Schedule:
