Danielle Kang’s stock continues to rise on the LPGA Tour and she took her momentum to Singapore with a good start on Thursday.
Kang, who has risen back to No. 4 in the Rolex World Rankings, opened with a four-under par 68 that left her just a shot back of rising star Patty Tavatanakit at the HSBC Women’s Championship at the Sentosa Golf Club.
Kang held a one-stroke lead through 16 holes but bogeyed 17 and 18 to drop into the tie for second. Still, this was the ninth consecutive round that Kang has finished first or second on the leaderboard. She won the season-opening Tournament of Champions and was second the following week at the Gainbridge.
But on Friday, Kang wasn’t as sharp, all she could muster was a one-under par effort of 71 and that left her three behind 36-hole leader and world No. 1 Jin Young Ko.
Ko was a bit worried about how her injured left wrist would hold up but after at least a month off, she looked good enough to shoot 69-67 and at eight-under, shared that halfway lead with fellow South Korean Amy Yang.
American Megan Khang, after rounds o f69-68 was just a shot back at seven-under, tied with Canadian Brooke Henderson (69-68) and Atthaya Thitikul (69-68) from Thailand.
Lydia Ko, one of the pre-tournament favorites, had been on a tear before the LPGA Tour break. She opened with 69 but struggled a bit on Friday and her 72 dropped her back to two-under, tied for 26th.
DP World Tour Resumes, Sharma Leads In Kenya:
After a few weeks off, the DP World Tour is back in action at the Magical Kenya Open.
This week’s field is not populated with name players most of the best are in the U.S. preparing for The Players and The Masters.
Shubhankar Sharma was the early 36-hole leader after rounds of 65-67 on the Muthaiga Golf Club in Nairobi.
Masahiro Kawamura of Japan (66-67) was a shot back along with Scotland’s Ewen Ferguson.
First round leader Daniel Gavins from England, who opened with a seven-under par 64, was one-over through seven holes of his second round.
Jason Day’s Mother Loses Battle With Cancer:
Adenil “Dening” Day, mother of major champion and 12-time PGA Tour winner Jason Day, passed away Wednesday evening alongside her family in Columbus, Ohio after a five-year battle with cancer. She was 65.
“Last night, my mum peacefully left us,” Day wrote on Instagram. He withdrew from this week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational to be by his mother’s side. “We are heartbroken but incredibly grateful for the gift we had in her living with us for the last almost two years full-time. She fought so hard until the very last breath. I am forever indebted to her for the sacrifices she made for me to be successful, and for the person she helped me to become. We will miss her so much.”
Dening Day raised Jason as a single mother after his dad died from stomach cancer when Jason was only 12. Dening was first diagnosed with Stage Four non-small-cell lung cancer in 2017.
