RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. — Jennifer Kupcho shared the lead Thursday in The Chevron Championship in her second — and final — begin at Mission Hills, the tree-lined format she has shortly fallen in love with.
“Honestly, I think it’s just being comfortable on this golf course,” Kupcho stated. “I get here and I just, I feel comfortable. I love this place.”
Kupcho shot a 6-under 66 in sunny and calm morning circumstances to hitch fellow early starter Minjee Lee atop the leaderboard after the primary spherical of the ultimate version of the key championship at Mission Hills.
“I really like the layout of this golf course, the beautiful shape that it’s in every year,” Kupcho stated. “It always is so fun to be here, so just taking advantage of how much I like the course and the atmosphere.”
Unable to discover a sponsor prepared to stay at Mission Hills, the match that began in 1972 because the Colgate-Dinah Shore Winner’s Circle and have become a significant in 1983 is shifting to Houston subsequent 12 months beneath a take care of Chevron.
“Definitely sad,” Carolina Masson stated after a 68. “I understand why we’re doing it, but I’m just trying to soak in every second being out here. The golf course is playing as good as ever.”
Defending champion Patty Tavatanakit was a stroke again, ending late within the afternoon in gusting wind.
“Really proud,” Tavatanakit stated. “I feel like I really got my momentum going, was really present today.”
Kupcho birdied Nos. 11-14 to get to eight beneath, then bogeyed the following two holes. She birdied 4 of the primary 5 and completed with 9 birdies and three bogeys.
“You really need to hit fairways on a major golf course, so that was like my biggest thing today, to hit a bunch of fairways,” Kupcho stated. “That really set me up for all my birdies.”
Winless on the LPGA Tour, Kupcho gained the 2018 NCAA particular person title for Wake Forest and took the inaugural Augusta Nationwide Ladies’s Newbie the next 12 months after passing up a spot that week at Mission Hills.
The 24-year-old from Colorado arrived early within the desert after lacking the minimize Friday in Carlsbad. “I just used the two days that I did have on the weekend to come here and practice,” she stated.
Lee birdied all 4 par 5s in a bogey-free spherical on the mountain-framed course.
“It was perfect,” Lee stated. “Not like a breath of wind when we played. Maybe just a tiny bit. But conditions are great. Putting greens are rolling real nice. I don’t think you can get better than that.”
The 25-year-old Australian, ranked fourth on the earth, gained the Evian Championship final summer time for her first main title and sixth LPGA Tour victory.
“I know I have one under my belt, but I do want a little bit more,” Lee stated. “I just think I have a little bit more belief in myself and my game, so I can be a little bit more comfortable just hitting the shots.”
Third-ranked Lydia Ko, the 2015 champion, was at 68 with Masson, Anna Nordqvist, Georgia Corridor, Gabriela Ruffels and Pajaree Anannarukarn. Lexi Thompson, the 2014 winner, was one other stroke again with Sarah Schmelzel, Annie Park, Lauren Stephenson, Pauline Roussin-Bouchard and Hinako Shibuno.
Thompson marveled at course she first performed as a 14-year-old newbie.
“I’ve never seen it this good,” Thompson stated. “It always surprises me every year. It’s always better. The greens are amazing. I’m one to putt and usually aim at things along the way, and there is just not an imperfection on greens to aim at. It’s a good problem.”
Schmelzel is making her fourth look.
“This place is really special,” Schmelzel stated. “I feel like growing up watching the LPGA Tour, these are holes that I remember. These are holes that I wanted to be on one day.”
Park performed as a single within the first group within the afternoon off the primary tee.
“It was kind of weird the first couple holes just playing by myself,” Park stated. “It was really peaceful.”
High-ranked Jin Younger Ko, the 2019 winner, shot a 74 to finish her under-par streak at 34 rounds. Her run of a minimum of one birdie ended at 53 rounds.
“I was hitting lots of great shots, but my putting wasn’t good,” she stated. “I couldn’t see the break as much or speed. Everything was wrong.”
Ally Ewing and Moriya Jutanugarn had an eventful end on the par-5 18th when the sprinklers on the inexperienced turned on at about 6 p.m. as Ewing was getting ready for a 4-foot birdie putt. After a brief delay, she holed out for a 70.
