Kim A-lim still leads, Nelly Korda rising at Tournament of Champions
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Kim A-lim with her caddie on the 18th green during the second round of the Tournament of Champions on Jan 31.
PHOTO: AFP
ORLANDO – South Korea’s Kim A-lim will take a three-shot lead into the weekend, after posting a three-under 69 in the second round of the Tournament of Champions on Jan 31.
Kim led by four after the first round and moved to 10-under 134 at the halfway mark of the LPGA’s season opener. Sweden’s Linn Grant shot a 67 at Orlando’s Lake Nona Golf & Country Club and now stands at seven under, while world No. 1 Nelly Korda also shot 67 to be joint third at six under.
Tied with Korda are Japan’s Rio Takeda (68) and Ireland’s Leona Maguire (68).
Kim, 29, carded seven birdies in the first round but was on more of an adventure on Jan 31, combining six birdies with three bogeys.
“Still good,” Kim said. “Different (than Jan 30), wind different direction, but still fun.”
Kim won the 2020 US Women’s Open and then went winless on the LPGA Tour until November 2024, when she broke through to win the Lotte Championship.
“When I was came (to the) US everything is uncomfortable because food, language, and then grass, people, everything,” Kim said.
“But I don’t have a choice. I want to play in LPGA, so just try. More I learn English and more learn grass and more learn everything. I have more time getting better (at) everything.”
Grant capped her round off with an eagle at the par-five ninth hole. She said: “I hit a four-hybrid into the green from like 220 yards. Then I just had a 12-footer and it went in.”
Nelly Korda shot 67 to join a tie for third at six under.
PHOTO: AFP
On the PGA Tour, Austria’s Sepp Straka, who won his third PGA Tour title just two weeks ago, fired a seven-under 65 to grab the lead after the second round of the Pebble Beach Pro-Am on Jan 31.
Sepp Straka fired a seven-under 65 to grab the lead after the second round of the Pebble Beach Pro-Am on Jan 31.
PHOTO: AFP
Straka, who captured the American Express crown at Palm Springs in January, stood on 14-under 130 after 36 holes, three ahead of Australia’s Cam Davis (68) and American 18-hole leader Russell Henley (69).
The 31-year-old from Vienna fashioned a 65 on Jan 30 at Spyglass Hill and another on Jan 31 at windy Pebble Beach, where he beat two-time Major winner Justin Thomas by two strokes.
“Hitting the ball really well early in the round and then missed a few putts, but made some really nice putts, too,” Straka said. “It was just all around a pretty solid day.”
Meanwhile, golfers competing on the PGA Tour Champions would welcome the chance to play against 15-time Major winner Tiger Woods on the senior circuit, two-time US Masters champion Bernhard Langer said on Jan 31.
Woods, who has played a limited schedule since his horrific February 2021 car crash, will be eligible to play on the Champions Tour – where players are allowed to use golf carts at most events – when he turns 50 on Dec 30. REUTERS, AFP
