Sponsor’s invite shoots 62 to take midway lead at LPGA’s Lotte Championship

HONOLULU — Youmin Hwang played in the final group off the first tee Thursday in the second round of the Lotte Championship. Sheâ€ll do it again Friday after shooting a 10-under 62, the best round in the four years the tournament has been played at Hoakalei Country Club.

Hwang opened eagle-birdie, dropped a stroke on the fourth and had eight more birdies to get to 15-under 129 and open a three-stroke lead with two rounds left. Playing on a sponsor invitation, the 22-year-old South Korean player has two victories on the Korean LPGA.

“First of all, I broke my life-best score,†Hwang said. “At the same time, I broke the course record, so I feel very good.â€

Hwang matched the tournament record of 62 set by Lizette Salas in the 2013 final round and Cristie Kerr in the 2017 third round, both at Ko Olina Golf Course.

“I feel very different about the course, first, especially the grass type,†Hwang said. “Itâ€s very different to Korea and play in Korea LPGA.â€

First-round leader Akie Iwai of Japan followed her opening 64 with a 68 in the afternoon session to join American Jessica Porvasnik (65) at 12 under.

“Feel like little difference, specific on the green,†Iwai said. “Getting hard to see the line.â€

Porvasnik played in the first group of the day of the first tee. Sheâ€s a 30-year-old LPGA Tour rookie after finishing fourth last year in the Epson Tour standings.

“I just hit a lot of fairways, a lot of greens, gave myself a lot of great looks, and made a few of those,†said Porvasnik, a former Ohio State player.

Iwai played in a group with twin sister Chisato, who was 8 under after a 66. The 23-year-old Japanese sisters have each won this year as tour rookies. Chisato broke through at Mayakoba in Mexico in May, and Akie won the Portland Classic in August.

Nasa Hataoka of Japan and Gabriela Ruffels of Australia each shot 69 to get to 10 under.

Second-ranked Nelly Korda was 8 under after a 67 in the morning.

“The main difference between today and yesterday was just the putts dropped,†Korda said. “It was a little gustier out there today versus yesterday, so it was fun to play in, kind of show my creative side.â€

Coming off a seven-victory season, Korda hasnâ€t won this year and has lost her No. 1 ranking to Jeeno Thitikul. The tour has had a different winner in all 24 of its official tournaments this year.

Charley Hull, playing alongside Korda, was 7 under after a 68. Hull won the Kroger Queen City Championship three weeks ago in Ohio after Thitikul four-putted the final hole.

“Just played pretty solid golf,†Henderson said. “I found the greens kind of a bit slow, so kind of hard to get used to the pace because you just feel like you have to bash the putts.â€

Brooke Henderson, the 2018 and 2019 winner at Ko Olina, was 4 under after her second 70.

Defending champion A Lim Kim was 4 under after a 74.

After the event, the LPGA heads to Asia for tournaments five straight weeks in Shanghai, South Korea, Malaysia and Japan.

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