Texas: Yan Liu shot an even-par 72 on Friday, overcoming three bogeys on the front nine and a late bogey to take a one-stroke lead at the Chevron Championship, the first women’s major tournament of the year.
The 27-year-old Chinese player, who shared the first-round lead with Haeran Ryu after a 65, holed a 175-yard second shot for an albatross on the par-5 eighth hole.
Liu’s strong finish included a birdie on the par-5 18th after a bogey on the 17th.
Top-ranked Nelly Korda bounced back from an opening 77 with a 68 to make the cut in her title defense. She used a different putter after a practice session the previous day, saying, “Sometimes that’s all you need.” Korda won last year at The Club at Carlton Woods for her fifth consecutive victory.
Liu admitted she felt some pressure going into Saturday’s round, acknowledging the difficulty of the course and the significance of the major tournament.
[Reported by Arab News]
