Ko, Jutanugarn set for LPGA finale showdown, chasing Hull

The LPGA Tour is expanding its fall swing through the Asia-Pacific region of the world, adding the McKayson New Zealand Women’s Open to the 2017 schedule.

The CME Group Tour Championship returned to Naples on Friday, as Lydia Ko-the No. 1 LPGA player in the world-shot a second-round score 62 (-10), which was good for a new tournament course record and tied for Ko’s career-best mark.

“More girls and more kids will say “hey, I want to play on this tour and play this event too”. “Pretty yucky”, she said, summing up a 2016 of only two LPGA top-10s.

CME Globe race update: The big $1 million bonus payday for the victor of the Race to the CME Globe title has eliminated all but three players and one of them is a long shot at best.

Ko opened her second round with three consecutive birdies and never looked back.

No, Tiburon Golf Club, where birdies are plentiful, isn’t set up like a major championship test, but the weight of what’s at stake in the season finale more than rivals what’s at stake in any of the women’s five majors. On the back nine, she birdied three of the first five holes and answered a bogey at 16 with a birdie at the 17th. There are 11 players within three shots of the lead.

Hull, ranked 29th, seeks her first title since winning the Ladies European Tour’s Lalla Meryem Cup at Morocco in March of 2014 at age 17. “This year is, like, great for me”, she said.

“It has been a little while”, she said of how her times in contention have been infrequent of late.

Heading into this week, Song said she changed her putter, and admitted she felt ‘refreshed’. For example, Haru Nomura, who is in ninth place on the points list, would need to win the tournament, have Ariya Jutanugarn finish in a tie for fifty-fifth or worse, and have all other point holders ahead of her finish outside the top ten.

“It was just more about my iron play”, Ko said.

“To me, it would be player of the year”, Jutanugarn said.

“This year is like great for me, ” Jutanugarn said.

“I think after the Asian wave, we’re just so exhausted”.

Feng, victor of her last two events, struggled to a one-over 73 to stand tied for 16th at five-under.

Thailand’s Ariya Jutanugarn, challenging Ko in the Race To CME Globe, gave herself a chance after shooting a 68 Friday to go 4-under for the tournament.

Ryu had four birdies and two bogeys on the front nine, then birdies on No. 14 and 15. In 2012, 84% of Manukau Golf Club members voted for the club to move from its original Takinini site, seven minutes down the road to its new 60 ha location at Windross Farm, owned by Graham Windross. “Just going to make sure I’m going to have better speed control tomorrow”.

Her nearest challengers after 36 holes are American Ryann O’Toole and Korean So-yeon Ryu, who carded 67 and 68 respectively.