Nelly Korda scores 81 and gets wrapped up early again at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship

Korda also missed the cuts in the US Women’s Open – opening with an 80 – and the Meijer LPGA Classic in her last two starts after winning six of seven events, a run that started with a record five straight wins.

“For me lately, it’s just been golf,” Korda said. “There are no words for how I play now. I’ll just go home and try to reset.”

While Korda struggled in the warm afternoon conditions that accelerated the tree-lined Sahalee Country Club, Sarah Schmelzel and Amy Yang shared the lead at 6-under 136. Schmelzel had a 67 in the morning and Yang shot 68 in the afternoon.

Korda bogeyed the first four holes and also dropped strokes at Nos. 6 and 9 in a front-nine 42. She bogeyed Nos. 11 and 14, had a double bogey at the 15 and made her only birdie of the day on 18.

Schmelzel, the 30-year-old Arizonan who was winless in six seasons on the LPGA Tour, made a 10-foot birdie putt on the par-3 17th hole and stayed aggressive on the par-5 18th, hitting her 3-wood. came up short. the green and chipping to a foot for a tap-in birdie and the low round of the championship.

“Just staying really patient and aggressive off the tee was kind of our plan this week,” Schmelzel said. “I drove (the ball) really well, so luckily I was able to take advantage of having some shorter irons today.”

Yang is looking for her first major title. Dealing with a problem, she had the only bogey-free round of the tournament.

The five-time LPGA winner had no trouble with the firmness of the poa annua greens in the afternoon, successfully chasing par on all eight attempts. She hit her third shot from 97 yards 18 yards off a foot to set up birdie.

“Fairways are so tight,” Yang said. “It’s quite a challenge there.”

Thompson (72) was two strokes behind fellow major champions Jin Young Ko (68) and Hinako Shibuno (70).

Starting on the back nine, Thompson turned 3-under 33 to get to 7 under, but made a double bogey on the par-5 second hole. Her second shot missed left, forcing a punchout, and she three-putted for a 7. Thompson dropped another shot on the par-4 fourth.

The 29-year-old Thompson, who recently announced this season will be her final schedule, lost a playoff at the Meijer LPGA Classic last week. She has not won on the LPGA Tour since June 2019.

“You’re going to hit some bad shots and you might get punished by the trees,” Thompson said. “You just need to take your medicine while reaching out or getting back into position.”

Hae Ran Ryu equaled the low round of the tournament with a 67 to reach 3 under with Miyu Yamashita (70) and Leona Maguire (71),

“The course is becoming much firmer,” Maguire said. “It’s quite dried out.”

Brooke Henderson, who won the Women’s PGA the last time it was played in Sahalee in 2016, shot 72 and was 1 over.

AP Golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf