Jessica Korda owns spotlight on 2nd day
of Honda LPGA THAILAND 2018
PATTAYA, Thailand (February 23, 2018) Jessica Korda tops Honda LPGA THAILAND 2018 leaderboard with a total score of 16-under par on the tournament’s second day. The 24-year-old American secured eight birdies including four consecutive ones on 13, 14, 15 and 16 and a closing eagle, wrapping up the spectacular, bogey-free round at 10 under 62. Brittany Lincicome and Minjee Lee follows at second and third place.
KORDA BREAKS COURSE RECORD, LINCICOME IN SECOND AT HONDA LPGA THAILAND
Jessica Korda, who is making her season debut after offseason jaw surgery, canned a brilliant left-to-right birdie putt over a ridge on hole 15 to move into the lead, which she’ll hold into the weekend. Korda was dynamite in round two with eight birdies and a closing eagle to post a personal best and Siam Country Club course record 10-under 62 and stands atop the Honda LPGA Thailand at 16-under, which breaks the 36-hole tournament scoring record. She started to pull away from the field with four birdies in a row between holes 13 and 16.
Korda closed with a 29 on the back nine.
“I struggle on this course every year, but this year I have a whole new outlook with everything I’m doing,” explained the 24-year-old Korda. “It’s awesome. I was just trying to give myself a chance. It was pretty cool, a pretty cool round.”
Korda, who has 27 screws holding together her jaw, has dealt with a lot over the last year, but is position to chase her first win on Tour since the 2015 Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia.
“Basically, I had double jaw surgery,” said Korda. “I have a couple screws in my face. I still can’t feel anything. No pain at all on the course, just numb. The headaches are gone.”
Lexi Thompson, who won in Thailand in 2016, made a flurry of birdies during the middle of her second round to stay close to Korda, but received a two-stroke penalty for moving a temporary immovable obstruction on hole 15 and dipped from 12-under to 10-under. She made six birdies during an eight-hole stretch to card a 4-under 68. Meanwhile, Brittany Lincicome, an eight-time winner on Tour, turned in a 7-under 65.to stand in second at 12-under.
“It was great out there, me, Jess (Korda) and Brooke (Henderson) were doing well and feeding off each other,” said Lincicome. “It’s nice to see the ball going straight and the ball going in since it’s only my second event of the year.”
For more of Bret Lasky’s Five Things to Know, visit http://www.lpga.com/news/2018-round-two-five-things-honda-lpga-thailand
NOTABLE AND QUOTABLE
Jessica Korda (128, -16)
“I didn’t know it was happening. I wasn’t really looking at the leaderboard or what I was at on the day, which is usually how these things happen. Honestly, we had fun out there and just let the birdies flow.”
Brittany Lincicome (132, -12)
“It’s fun to see all the circles on the scorecard. I made an eagle today, which is really fun. Actually missed a 3-footer on the first hole for eagle. But, yeah, it was fun. You know, it’s just nice to see the ball going straight and the putts going in. To be the second event of the season, that’s pretty cool.”
Michelle Wie (135, -9)
“Every week I play I definitely feel more confidence. That’s what I’m trying to do every week, is build up my confidence. I had fun out there, so I feel like that’s when I play my best. Just really trying to go out there and have fun.”
KORDA GOES LOW AGAIN IN ASIA
With a second-round 62 at Siam Country Club Pattaya’s Old Course, Jessica Korda recorded the lowest round of her eight-year LPGA career. Her previous best was a 64, which she returned three times, all during the LPGA’s trips to Asia – the 2016 Honda LPGA Thailand, 2013 Reignwood LPGA Classic and 2012 Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia.
Korda’s 62 is the lowest round in tournament history, besting the nine 63s shot since the tournament began in 2006 and returned most recently by Beatriz Recari in the fourth round of 2015. Her 36-hole score of 16-under 128 is also sets a new tournament mark, breaking the previous record of 130 set by Suzann Pettersen in 2010 and Stacy Lewis in 2015.
YANG CONTINUES THAI SUCCESS
Amy Yang likes Siam Country Club Pattaya’s Old Course. In fact, she REALLY likes it. The 28-year-old from the Republic of Korea is the defending champion and also took the title in 2015. In her nine tournament appearances, she has only once finished outside the top 10. She hasn’t returned a round over par since 2014. In fact, since the 2015 tournament, Yang is an astounding 58-under par.
“I always enjoy playing in Thailand and Siam Country Club,” said Yang, who shot a 3-under 69 on Friday and is tied for eighth after 36 holes. “Always every year really looking forward to coming here.”
QUICK HITS
This is Jessica Korda’s seventh appearance in the Honda LPGA Thailand; her best finish is T3 in 2016
This is Brittany Lincicome’s 10th appearance in the Honda LPGA Thailand; her best finish is 13th in 2017
This is Minjee Lee’s third appearance in the Honda LPGA Thailand; she finished T25 in 2016 and T8 in 2016
(Transcripts can be found at http://asaptext.com/orgs/lpga/363/)
Admission tickets of Honda LPGA THAILAND 2018, scheduled on 22-25 February 2018 at Siam Country Club Pattaya Old Course, are available on www.hondalpgathailand.com. 24 and 25 February’s one-day pass is 550 baht; and weekend two-day pass is 950 baht. Children below 16 years old and senior citizens over 60 years old are entitled to free entry. The event will be televised live in FULL HD on 9 MCOT HD (Number 30).
For more details about Honda LPGA THAILAND 2018, please visit www.hondalpgathailand.com and www.facebook.com/lpgaThailand
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