LOS ANGELES — Jessica Korda shot a 6-under 65 on Thursday within the HUGEL Air Premia LA Open to interrupt the match 36-hole scoring file and enhance her result in three strokes.
A day after matching the Wilshire Nation Membership match file with a 64, Korda opened her bogey-free morning spherical with birdies on three of her first 4 holes — holing a 15-footer to start out on the par-Four 10th. At 13-under 129, she broke the occasion mark of eight beneath set by Moriya Jutanugarn in 2018 within the inaugural match.
“It may sound loopy, however I truly lipped out a great quantity on the market at the moment, so it truly may have been decrease,” Korda mentioned. “I do not complain. I do know I made a bogey yesterday, however I made up for it with some birdies. Simply had a bit of little bit of a more durable time with some pace at the moment.”
Prime-ranked Jin Younger Ko was second after a 65. Enjoying within the afternoon, she misplaced a late stroke with a bogey on the par-Four 17th.
Fellow South Korean star Sei Younger Kim was 9 beneath. She closed her afternoon spherical with a bogey on the par-Three 18th for a 66.
“General fairly stable spherical,” Kim mentioned. “Somewhat bit chilly on the market, low temperature, however nonetheless little breeze. General, very nice climate.”
Canadian Brooke Henderson (65) and 43-year-old Angela Stanford (66) had been eight beneath. So Yeon Ryu (67) was one other shot again with Hannah Inexperienced (67) and Tiffany Chan (70). Second-ranked Inbee Park (68) was 6 beneath.
Korda received the season-opening Diamond Resorts Event of Champions in January for her sixth LPGA Tour title, and sister Nelly Korda adopted with a victory a month later within the Gainbridge LPGA within the second occasion of the yr.
Jessica Korda has 13 straight under-par rounds. She hit 33 of 36 greens within the first two rounds.
“You are simply plotting your manner across the golf course and making an attempt to be sensible the place we hold it,” Jessica Korda mentioned. “I obtained above the outlet on a pair holes they usually’re not straightforward putts, so you’ll be able to undoubtedly get out of place actually simply out right here, so we have been fairly I sensible.”
She was 17 strokes forward of taking part in companions Lydia Ko and Patty Tavatanakit.
Ko, the winner final week in Hawaii within the Lotte Championship at 28-under 260, adopted a gap 78 with a 68 to overlook the lower. Tavatanakit, making her first begin since successful the ANA Inspiration for her first main title and first LPGA Tour victory, shot 75-71.
“I like being paired with Lydia,” Jessica Korda mentioned. “I believe I performed a apply spherical with Patty final yr. It was sort of simply good to get to know her. She’s tremendous good and has a really lengthy profession forward of her. However I like my pairing. Anytime I get paired with Lydia, we all the time have such a good time. It was very straightforward going.”
Henderson birdied 4 of her final 5 holes.
“I simply made just a few extra putts early, which was actually thrilling, and a pair lengthy ones, which was very nice,” Henderson mentioned. “I felt like I’ve simply obtained plenty of vitality, and a pair nice breaks on the market, and to complete actually sturdy on the again 9 I believe was actually clutch to climb up the leaderboard a bit of bit.”
Stanford closed with a bogey on the par-Four ninth.
“I did not really feel nice this morning,” Stanford mentioned. “Typically, I believe that makes me focus a bit of bit extra, so it was actually one shot at a time as a result of at any second I believed it may go south. Most likely good that it sort of stored me targeted at the moment.”
Nelly Korda was Three beneath after a 73. Seven beneath after birdieing the primary two holes, she dropped 5 strokes in a four-hole span on the again 9. She bogeyed the par-Four 11th, made a triple bogey on the par-5 13th and bogeyed the par-Four 14th.
Michelle Wie West adopted a gap 70 with a 77 to overlook her third straight lower in her comeback.