LPGA; Aussie Grace Kim powers to big halfway lead in Los Angeles

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The absence of world NO.1 Nelly Korda after a five-event winning streak opened the door for a new LPGA victor and Australia’s Grace Kim has stormed through it taking a big halfway lead at the JM Eagle LA Championship.

Motivated by a missed cut at last week’s Chevron Championship, the first LPGA major of the year, which was won by Korda amid a stunning run of five straight wins, Kim pushed don from an opening round seven-under 64 with a second round 66 to be four shots in front with two rounds to go.

Already a winner in her maiden year on the LPGA Tour last year, 23-year-old Kim said simplifying things was paying off.

“I really focused on just not having too much in my mind. I think I over thought a lot of things through my first and second round last week and struggled a little bit mentally,” she said.

“So just that self-belief, not forcing anything, and trusting that my muscle memory of a golf swing would work. Yeah, I guess that kind of worked out well.

“I think just having a clear mindset, not really focusing too much on result. Obviously I had a good day today, but it’s a fresh day on the weekend.”

Hannah Green, who won the event in a playoff in 2023, is the next best placed Australian in a tie for third, but six shots back from Kim.

But while Kim is powering the worrying form slide of Australian star Minjee Lee continues to pose questions about what’s going on with the former world No.2.

Lee, who is playing just her sixth event for 2024 in LA, missed her third cut in her past four events, including at the Chevron last week.

The two-time major champion remains sixth on the world rankings and is a lock to go to her second Olympics in Paris.

But the perennial top-10 finisher has finished inside the top 15 just once this year having made a significant equipment shift in the off-season, changing her club provider and also having ongoing putting issues.

It’s a formline in stark contrast to her final seven events of 2023 during which Lee won twice, finished second twice had two other top-10s and a worst finish of 13th.

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