ROUNDUP Korda gains on co-leaders Zhang, Sagstrom
Rose Zhang and Sweden’s Madelene Sagstrom will carry the lead at the Cognizant Founders Cup into the weekend, but Nelly Korda intends on crashing the party.
Zhang and Sagstrom are tied at 13under 131 after two trips around Upper Montclair Country Club in Clifton, N.J., and Korda is the only player within six shots of them. Korda posted a bogeyfree, 6-under 66 Friday to get to 9 under, four off the pace.
Korda is vying to break an LPGA record by winning her sixth start in a row. She shares the record streak of five with legends Annika Sorenstam and Nancy Lopez.
Korda, however, made up no ground on Sagstrom, who also fired a 66 Friday to catch up to Zhang.
After going out in 5-under 31, Sagstrom had a rollercoaster four-hole stretch at Nos. 10-13 — double bogey, birdie, eagle, bogey. She managed to tack on one more birdie at No. 15.
“I grinded hard. I made a big mistake on 10 by leaving it in the fairway bunker,” Sagstrom said. “Trying not to hit it fat in the water meant I thinned it into the lip. Not great.
“It’s one of those like you’re going to make mistakes. It was just a bit unfortunate happening when I was having momentum. Got it back quickly hit a good drive on 11, great second shot on 11, and a good putt. The eagle on 12 is a little bit of a bonus.”
Zhang, the 20-year-old who won her professional debut last year, is hunting for her second LPGA title. She piled up birdies at Nos. 2, 3, 5 and 7 before a birdie and bogey on the back nine left her with a 68.
“It was grueling out there,” Zhang said. “I felt like conditions were drastically different from (Thursday), but I was able to really just keep myself in there and hit the shots I need to do to stabilize myself. And was able to make some clutch par putts, which it’s crucial out here to be able to (do).”
Then there was Korda, who birdied four of her first seven holes — including three par-4s — before sinking birdie putts at Nos. 14 and 18.
“I mean, gosh, I putted really well today,” Korda said. “Even when I didn’t hit it close my putts just scared the hole. Overall very pleased with how I played today and hopefully I can take that into the next 36 holes.”
Yan Liu of China shot 70 and is alone in fourth at 6 under. Mel Reid of England is fifth at 5 under after an even-par 72. A 10-player tie for sixth at 4 under includes the likes of New Zealand’s Lydia Ko (71) and Australians Minjee Lee (70) and Hannah Green (71), who was last week’s winner in Los Angeles while Korda took the week off.
Notables missing the cut of 1 over par included Lexi Thompson (2 over), Thailand’s Atthaya Thitikul (2 over) and South Africa’s Ashleigh Buhai (5 over).
PGA Tour
Chris Gotterup birdied his final four holes and six of his last eight to shoot a 7-under 64 and take the second-round lead at the inaugural Myrtle Beach Classic in South Carolina.
The PGA Tour rookie used his red-hot finish to get to 12-under 130 through two rounds at The Dunes Golf and Beach Club, passing Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre, who was the clubhouse leader at 11 under after shooting 67.
“We were really just executing shots pretty solidly down the stretch there,” Gotterup said. “It got pretty windy, so definitely a good finish for me today.”
Gotterup, who earned his tour card via the Korn Ferry Tour points list last fall, made a series of short birdie putts during his back nine before reaching the par-3 17th hole, where his tee shot landed 501⁄2 feet away. But he got the lengthy putt to drop, and he capped off his streak with a 17-footer at No. 18 for his eighth and final birdie of the day.
It doesn’t mark Gotterup’s first time in contention at a PGA Tour event. He tied for fourth at the 2022 John Deere Classic while playing on a sponsor’s exemption.
“I don’t think (his mindset) shifts much,” Gotterup said of being the leader. “Obviously there’s a lot of good guys right in the mix there. Just got to go out and do what I’m trying to do and execute shots. Other than that, nothing is going to change.”
MacIntyre, who shared the 18-hole lead with Beau Hossler, fared better on the front nine, making four birdies before petering out and coming in with just one bogey and one birdie.
MacIntyre made no bones about grinding on the PGA Tour — at a new event opposite the signature Wells Fargo Championship — in order to chase his dream.
“I’m trying to keep my card out here. It’s not easy,” the World No. 84 said. “I’ve not had the greatest of starts, or after an alright start, I’ve not played the way I wanted to play. I want to be one of the best players in the world, so whatever I’ve got to play, I’ll play, whether it’s in the U.S., whether it’s in Europe, whether it’s further afield. It doesn’t faze me. I’m used to traveling.”
Jorge Campillo of Spain is alone in third at 10 under after his second straight 66. Hossler posted a 69 and is now tied for fourth at 9 under with Alex Smalley (65), Davis Thompson (68) and Alistair Docherty (68).
PGA Champions
Steve Stricker birdied the 18th hole to take a one-shot lead into the weekend at the Regions Tradition — the PGA Tour Champions major he has dominated in recent years — in Birmingham, Ala.
Stricker is a three-time winner of the event, including in 2022 and 2023, with a six-shot final margin every time. After posting a 7-under 65 at Greystone Golf and Country Club, he finds himself at 12under 132, one shot better than South Africa’s Ernie Els.
The first round concluded Friday after a weather delay ended Thursday’s action early. Six players shared the lead after posting first-round 65s — Els, Steve Flesch, Chris DiMarco, Doug Barron, Kenny Perry and Ireland’s Padraig Harrington.
Stricker was two off the pace after an opening 67, and he began his second round with four birdies and two bogeys over his first six holes. After settling in, he turned in five more birdies for a backnine 31.
“Yeah, it was a lot of holes today,” the 57-year-old said. “Took a cart for most of it. So I felt like a Champions Tour player, you know, right in a cart. … I walked the last nine holes and all the other ones so kind of took advantage of that situation. I played well, in a lot of good shots made some key putts in my head too, and two good scores.”
Stricker did not want to think ahead to the possibility of a three-peat.
“Just trying to play good,” he said. “I enjoy it here. I feel good going around here. I’m just trying to, you know, that old cliche of just taking one shot one hole at a time kind of thing.”
Els followed his opening 65 with a second-round 68 that included two birdies on each side. He has yet to make a bogey through 36 holes.
The former world No. 1 racked up four major titles in his career, but he’s searching for his first on the 50-andolder circuit. Els tied for second behind Stricker at last year’s Tradition, tied for third in 2022 and tied for fourth in 2021.
“I’m playing with in good company. Steve Stricker is obviously the king around here at the moment,” Els said. “… He’s got the tournament record so probably playing with him (Saturday) so I need to keep the pace up with Steve and try and make him work hard for this one.”
Flesch is now third at 10 under after a second-round 69. Harrington (secondround 70) and South Korea’s Charlie Wi (69) are tied at 9 under. Perry (71) and Dawson (70) are tied at 8 under, and Barron (72) is alone in eighth at 7 under.