BELMONT, Mich. — The third women’s major is next week but the game’s top players are making the most of this week’s event at Blythefield Country Club as a final tune-up.
Jennifer Kupcho, who won the Chevron Championship to kick off the 2022 major season, shot a second-round 67 and leads the field at the Meijer LPGA Classic by two at 14 under.
Nelly Korda shot a 7-under 65 on Friday to jump from a tie for seventh into solo second. Korda, who will be the defending champion at next week’s KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at historic Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Maryland, is one three golfers to shoot a 65 on Friday.
The day was marked by winds that reached 20 mph.
“Golf is the luck of the draw, right? Unfortunately, sometimes you’re on the wrong side, and sometimes you’re on the good side of it,” Korda said. “You just have to fare with it and see how it goes.”
Nelly Korda plays her second shot on the eighth hole during the second round of the 2022 Meijer LPGA Classic at Blythefield Country Club in Grand Rapids, Michigan. (Photo: Rey Del Rio/Getty Images)
Carlota Ciganda was another. She’s in solo third at 11 under. Brooke Henderson, who won her 11th LPGA title five days ago, is solo fourth at 10 under. Anna Nordqvist and Lexi Thompson are next on the leaderboard at 9 under, along with Madelene Sagstrom.
“Yeah, on eight, the wind was helping. I hit a good driver, and then I hit a small 9-iron to like six, seven feet,” Ciganda said. “And then on the last hole, driver just in the rough, I had 146 meters, and I hit a nine again. The wind was helping. I tried to hit it to the front. It went up maybe to like 20 feet, just short of the pin, and made it. So very happy with those two eagles.”
The third 65 was posted by Paula Reto, who is tied for ninth with Jessica Korda and Gerina Mendoza at 8 under.
U.S. Women’s Open champ Minjee Lee is in a group at 7 under, tied for 12th.
Among those who didn’t make the cut to the weekend: Patty Tavatanakit, Ally Ewing, Sei Young Kim, Yuka Saso and Inbee Park.
Sam Smith of the Holland Sentinel contributed to this article.