GREENSBORO, Ga. — Ally McDonald held onto the lead Saturday in the LPGA Drive On Championship-Lake Reynolds Oconee, shooting a 3-under 69 to take a one-stroke advantage into the final round.

Winless on the LPGA Tour, the 27-year-old from Mississippi had a 13-under 203 total on the Great Waters Course. Bianca Pagdanganan of the Philippines was second after a 69.

“I’m excited with the position I’m in,” McDonald said. “Mentally, I think I handled myself really well. Ready to take on tomorrow.”

Four strokes ahead of Pagdanganan with two holes to play, McDonald bogeyed the par-3 17th, while playing partner Pagdanganan closed with two birdies.

McDonald bogeyed the first hole and made a big mid-round run with five birdies in an eight-hole stretch.

“I played some really solid golf after I kind of settled in,” McDonald said. “Made a few bad swings towards the end of the round, but I’m not going to discredit how I really did settle in and played solid golf for most of my holes.”

Pagdanganan, a member of Arizona’s 2018 NCAA championship team after starting her college career at Gonzaga, is making her sixth LPGA Tour start of the year and seventh overall.

Danielle Kang was third at 11 under after a 70 in the event, added to the schedule because of the COVID-19 pandemic that shut down women’s golf for five months.

“I’m very frustrated today, but there was a lot of up-and-downs,” Kang said. “ But I think I handled the curve balls pretty well. Good to finish on a birdie.”

The tour returned with another Drive On tournament in Toledo, Ohio, in late July, with Kang winning that event and again the following week in Sylvania, Ohio. She leads the Race to CME Globe and, at No. 5 in the world, is the top-ranked player on the field,

“People out here are really supportive and they’ve been kind of boating or jet skiing from hole to hole,” Kang said. “That’s pretty cool and fun. They’re all here having fun, so that’s the whole point of it, for people to watch and have fun and be entertained. I’m glad they’re having a blast.”

Carlota Ciganda of Spain had a 68 to get to 10 under. Australia’s Katherine Kirk was 9 under after a 70. Hamilton’s Alena Sharp (73) was tied for 24th at 4 under.

“Course is in amazing shape,” Kirk said. “I think maybe it was a little trickier to score today, like harder to make get it close and have a lot of birdie opportunities. Our group certainly kind of had some moments of struggles and moments of brilliance, but the golf course is fabulous.”

NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa. – Sei Young Kim lined up for the putt on the 18th hole that would seal her first LPGA major championship and somehow missed by inches. One member of the gallery – in this instance, roughly 75 officials, photographers and course stragglers – even said “she made it.”

Not quite.

The 27-year-old South Korean laughed off the rare misstep, tapped in the winner and shed the unwelcome label of winningest golfer on the tour without a major. Kim raised her arms “Rocky” style, hugged her caddie and, at last, was a major champion.

Kim chewed up Aronimink Golf Club in record style, shooting a 7-under 63 on Sunday to win the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. She was five strokes better than runner-up Inbee Park, never seriously challenged on the arduous course in suburban Philadelphia.

“I’m actually really hiding my tears at the moment,” she said, standing next to the trophy.

Her dominance was in plain sight. She finished at 14-under 266. Her final-round 63 tied a tournament record, and her 266 set the championship scoring record.

Kim, who earned her 11th LPGA victory, got the championship push rolling when she matched a tournament record with a 29 on the front nine on Friday. She never really slowed down.

About the only surprise Sunday came when her father appeared on a video chat toward the end of her press conference.

“See you soon,” Kim said with a smile and a wave.

She was, Park said, “really untouchable.”

Park, a three-time winner of this championship, shot a 5-under 65. Park won the Women’s PGA Championship in 2015 and Kim was in the first group of people on the course to celebrate with her.

Five years later, it was Kim’s time to hoist the trophy.

Kim, a 2016 Olympian, was runner-up at the 2015 Women’s PGA Championship and tied for second at the Evian Championship in 2018. Kim held the 54-hole lead at a major once, at the 2015 ANA Inspiration, where she finished in a tie for fourth.

She clinched the championship with a round to remember at Aronimink. Kim’s fifth birdie of the day at the par-3 14th gave her a four-shot lead over Park and put her at 12 under for the championship.

She earned $645,000 for the victory. Kim has at least one win in every LPGA Tour season since 2015.

“It was just so hard to believe that she never won a major before because it felt like she won a few,” Park said.

Nasa Hataoka and Carlota Ciganda tied for third at 7 under. Anna Nordqvist (4 under) and Canada’s Brooke Henderson (3 under) both played in Kim’s group and finished fifth and sixth.

Henderson, of Smiths Falls, Ont., won the event in 2016. Hamilton’s Alena Sharp tied for 48th place.

Kim is the latest addition to a growing list of first-time major winners in recent years, a sign of growing parity. Her victory means nine of the last 10 major champions had never won one before. She joins Sophia Popov (Women’s British Open) and Mirim Lee (ANA Inspiration) as this year’s major champions.

Kim dazzled at another event without the roar of the galleries — though Toronto Raptors star Kyle Lowry walked the course — and held off a hard-charging Park. Park had three birdies on the front nine as she tried to match Mickey Wright with a record fourth win at the Women’s PGA Championship.

“I thought 65 will definitely do it,” Park said. “I was thinking maybe like 5 to 6 under is a good number to kind of post and just see what happens. But obviously Sei Young was just much better than anyone else out there today.”

As she approached 18, the trophy sitting out near the hole for her to see, pretty much everyone out at Aronimink lined the ropes. She got a big ovation after her tap-in sealed the win.

Kim waved to the crowd and was doused in champagne as she walked off the course.

With Paul Fusco on the bag, Kim matched a tournament record with a 29 on the front nine on Friday and shot a 32 for the front nine on Sunday. Fusco kept it loose, even walking over to compliment a reporter for a story (“really cool”) before Kim teed off on No. 8.

“Before I came to the U.S., I actually saw Paul, and I saw how he prepared for each tournament, and I told myself I want to have him on my bag,” Kim said.

Kim hit the putt of her life last November at Tiburon Golf Club, a 25-foot birdie on the final hole of the CME Group Tour Championship to win $1.5 million, the richest prize in the history of women’s golf.

The money is far less at Aronimink – but the prestige of winning a major means so much more.

“I won’t lie, I did feel the pressure starting last night,” Kim said. “I actually arrived about 30 minutes later than I normally do at the golf course. I really tried to stay composed during the tournament, during the round, and I’m happy that I got it done.”

The tournament was delayed three months because of the coronavirus pandemic, landing its final round smack on a packed sports Sunday. The PGA of America had to get creative with the tee times with NBC having other programming commitments on the weekend and the leaders – including Kim – teed off at 8:49 a.m.

Founded in 1896, Aronimink has hosted a number of significant golf events during its storied history, including the 1962 PGA Championship won by Gary Player. Aronimink’s golf course was designed by Donald Ross in 1926 and is off the major schedule until the PGA Championship in 2026.

NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa. – Sei Young Kim has yet to splurge on the $1.5 million she won last year in the richest prize offered at a tournament in women’s golf.

“I’m just saving up for the future,” she said.

Winning the first major of her career just might be priceless. A 10-time LPGA Tour winner, the 27-year-old South Korean has the unwanted title of winningest active player without a major championship.

Kim went on another streaky run of birdies Saturday at Aronimink, shooting a 3-under 67 to hold the lead and positioning herself to put that label to rest at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.

Kim sits at 7-under 203, two strokes ahead of Canada’s Brooke Henderson and Anna Nordqvist, and will try to win it Sunday on a rare early-morning tee time.

“I wouldn’t say I’m nervous, but I’m also excited about going into the final day,” Kim said.

The tournament was delayed three months because of the coronavirus pandemic, landing its final round smack on a packed sports Sunday. The PGA of America had to get creative with the tee times with NBC having other programming commitments on the weekend. Kim, Henderson and Nordqvist tee off at 8:49 a.m. and the last group goes off at 9:16 a.m. The TV window is noon to 2 p.m. on NBC.

“The only thing I have to keep in mind is that earlier tee times will be a little chillier temperaturewise, so I’ll make sure I have my hand warmers and be ready to play tomorrow,” Kim said.

Kim was runner-up at the 2015 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship and tied for second at the Evian Championship in 2018. Kim held the 54-hole lead at a major once, at the 2015 ANA Inspiration, where she finished tied for fourth.

The last four winners of the tournament either led or co-led after 36 holes, and Kim played like a golfer poised to make it five.

Henderson, the Smiths Falls, Ont., native who won the 2016 Women’s PGA Championship, tied her career-best 18-hole score at a major championship with a 65 to stay within striking distance. Henderson had five birdies for a bogey-free round.

“Sometimes it’s hard to believe that I’m a major champion,” Henderson said. “But definitely in times like this it gives me a little bit of confidence, and I’m excited to try to do it again tomorrow.”

Throwing ? pic.twitter.com/UkvsLISP8I

— Golf Canada (@GolfCanada) October 10, 2020

Nordqvist, who had five birdies and three bogeys, shot a 5-under 68 as she tries to win her third major championship.

Inbee Park is three strokes behind the leader and Bianca Pagdanganan shot a 65 for the second straight day to rally her way into fifth at 3 under. Pagdanganan hasn’t had a bogey since the first round.

Park is a three-time winner of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship and would tie Mickey Wright for the most in a career with a win.

“I’d be lying if I said I don’t think about it, but it’s just too crazy to think something big like that, in the history of golf, history of this championship, is going to maybe have a slim chance of happening to me,” Park said.

It’s not happening to an underdog. There’s a four-way tie for sixth place on a leaderboard stacked with the top talent on the tour.

Kim matched a tournament record with a 29 on the front nine on Friday and followed that with a 32 on Saturday.

Kim bogeyed the 18th hole for one of her few missteps of the last two rounds. She impressed on No. 16, nearly making an eagle but using a short putt for birdie. She also birdied No. 15, holing a long putt to go 7 under.

“I feel like I’ve made a few nice mid-range putts, which helped me get the momentum,” she said.

Kim hit the putt of her life last November at Tiburon Golf Club, a 25-foot birdie on the final hole of the CME Group Tour Championship to win $1.5 million, the richest prize in the history of women’s golf.

“If I knew the answer to how to make clutch putts, I would have won so many more times,” Kim said.

The money is far less at Aronimink — the field is competing for a $4.3 million purse with the winner earning $645,000. But it pales to the prestige that goes with winning an LPGA major.

Just ask Nordqvist, the 2009 champ.

“It’s something that no one can take away from me, and it’s obviously one of my most proud moments as a pro,” she said. “It’s just a great feeling knowing that my name is on the trophy.”

She wants to put her name on it again, and so does Henderson. Standing in their way: the South Korean, with one big check, determined to leave Aronimink a major champion.

NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa. – Sei Young Kim ignored the manually operated leaderboards dotted around Aronimink as she started to rally her way into contention.

“I was in a good momentum, so I just wanted to ride on that,” Kim said.

By the time she finished sinking birdie after birdie en route toward matching a record round, Kim could afford a peek at the board: Her name was on top.

Kim birdied five of the final six holes as darkness fell Friday at Aronimink for a 5-under 65 and the second-round lead in the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.

The 27-year-old South Korean closed with a 6-under 29 on the front nine. She dropped early strokes on Nos. 11 and 12 and made her lone first-nine birdie on the par-5 16th.

“When we entered the front nine, the wind kind of slowed down and it was kind of easier to attack with my irons,” she said.

Kim had a 4-under 136 total at rugged 6,437-yard Aronimink. She tied Karrie Webb (2001) and Sarah Kemp (2011) for the lowest nine-hole score in the Women’s PGA Championship.

“The birdie on 14 was pretty good because it was a long birdie putt, and that’s when I started the four-birdie streak,” Kim said. “So I think that really helped me with momentum and finishing strong.”

A 10-time LPGA Tour winner, Kim is looking for her first major victory. She was runner-up at the 2015 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship and tied for second at the Evian Championship in 2018.

The last four winners of the tournament either led or co-led after 36 holes.

Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., fired a 69 to get back to even par heading into the weekend, while Hamilton’s Alena Sharp shot a 74 and is 4 over, good enough to make the 6-over cut line. Henderson won the tournament in 2016.

Jennifer Kupcho (65), Danielle Kang (69), Carlota Ciganda (69) and Anna Nordqvist (68) were a stroke back.

Kupcho was second last weekend in the ShopRite LPGA Classic and said a run at the championship left her exhausted.

The 23-year-old Kupcho hit all 18 greens in regulation.

Kupcho — winner of the inaugural Augusta National Women’s Amateur — has yet to transfer the success of her celebrated collegiate career over to the LPGA Tour. She was the No. 1 ranked amateur at Wake Forest and won the 2018 NCAA Division I Golf Championship. At majors, she failed to make the cut four times, including at the last two Women’s British Opens.

At Aronimink, Kupcho went back to what worked for her in college. She decided to use the Ping i210 irons she played with as an amateur after a talk with her parents.

Kupcho, who also brought on a new caddie in Kyle Alexander, played each nine at Aronimink only once leading into the tournament and found the unfamiliarity with the sloped greens may have worked to her advantage.

“Going into last week, I was not prepared, like I felt completely unprepared,” she said. “I felt the same way coming into this week. I didn’t feel like I was ready to come play this type of a golf course. I think not being prepared brings another challenge for me, and I think that’s what helps me play well.”

Kang, the 2017 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship winner, also is in the hunt for her second career major. If she gets it, it will come on one of the tougher courses this season on the tour.

Kang visualized she was in a putting contest with her brother in a bid to loosen up and steady her short game, and promptly sank a 15-footer to close out the 12th hole.

“There is no right shot, but there are wrong misses,” she said. “That creates that opportunity of really tough up-and-downs. A couple times I hit a really good shot and I got penalized for hitting a good shot, but I just didn’t think far enough to not hit it there.”

Ciganda, a 30-year-old Spaniard, suffered through a lengthy bout of COVID-19 earlier this year that left her quarantined in her Arizona apartment for at least a month. She said at least three tests over that span came back positive and she needed at least another month and a half after her first negative to truly start to feel completely healthy. A two-time winner on the LPGA Tour, Ciganda suffered from memory issues, fatigue and weight loss during her ordeal.

“I’m happy that I’m playing again and feeling pretty good again,” she said.

Nelly Korda, the No. 2-ranked player in the world, dropped out with a back injury after she shot a 71 in the opening round. ANA Inspiration winner Mirim Lee also withdrew because of an injury.

Su Oh, at 5 over at the time, had perhaps the shot of the day on 16 when she lofted one out of the green-side bunker and sank the first eagle of the tournament.

There are only 13 players under par through the second round.

GALLOWAY, N.J. – Mel Reid of England seized control with a run of birdies around the turn and finished strong Sunday for a 4-under 67 and a two-shot victory in the ShopRite LPGA Classic for her first LPGA Tour title.

Reid’s only mistake on the back nine was a bogey on the par-3 17th, which cut her four-shot lead in half when Jennifer Kupcho and Jennifer Song each made birdie.

From the right rough on the par-5 closing hole, Reid lashed a 6-iron knowing that short of the green would be fine with a two-shot lead and the other two players also in the rough. The ball came out hot and ran onto the edge of the green, effectively assuring victory.

In her last start two weeks ago, Reid lost a two-shot lead in the Cambia Portland Classic. When she rapped in her 2-foot birdie putt on Sunday, she dropped her putter and the celebration was on. She was showered with a combination of beer and champagne, eventually grabbed a bottle of bubbly and took a swig.

Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., finished tied for sixth at 11 under while Hamilton’s Alena Sharp tied for 40th at 4 under.

The 33-year-old Reid, who joined the LPGA Tour in 2017, is among the more popular players in women’s golf.

A promising British amateur who played in 2006 Curtis Cup and was low amateur at the 2007 Women’s British Open, her personal life derailed in 2012 when her mother was killed in a car crash near Munich while driving to watch her play a Ladies European Tour event.

She eventually got back on track, and Sunday was the biggest win of her career to go along with six LET titles.

Kupcho, the former NCAA champion at Wake Forest who last year won the inaugural Augusta National Women’s Amateur, lost ground with a double bogey on the par-3 eighth hole and had a shot roll back to her feet on the 16th for a crucial bogey. She closed with two birdies for a 68 to finish alone in second.

Song kept pace with Reid until a two-shot swing on the par-3 11th – Reid made her fourth birdie in the last five holes, while Song made bogey – sent her three shots behind. She closed with a 69 and finished third.

Reid had a few good par saves, looking steady over her 4-foot putts to keep her distance. She finished at 19-under 265, only the second time the ShopRite LPGA Classic was contested over 72 holes.

Nasa Hataoka had a 69 to finish fourth, while Nelly Korda closed with a 66 to finish fifth. Lexi Thompson, the defending champion who has gone nearly 16 months without a victory, shot 68 and tied for 13th.

GALLOWAY, N.J. – Mel Reid gave herself another chance for her first LPGA Tour victory.

Two weeks after missing an opportunity in Portland, the 33-year-old Englishwoman shot a 5-under 66 on Saturday to take the lead into the final round of the Shoprite LPGA Classic.

In Portland, Reid closed with a 2-over 74 to tie for fifth after taking a two-stroke lead into the last day.

“Sometimes I get too quick and it kind of makes me quick on my swing,” Reid said. “So just take my time tomorrow I think. That is basically what we kind of took away from last week. I was just rushing things a little bit and probably hitting shots I wasn’t quite comfortable with. Tomorrow I’m going to take my time a little bit more, and hopefully it makes a bit of a difference.”

Reid eagled the par-5 ninth in a bogey-free round Saturday. She had a 15-under 198 total.

“I’m starting to get a little confidence and starting to feel like I can be one of the world’s best, so we’ll see,” Reid said “Just keep doing what I’m doing and stay humble and hopefully good things will happen.”

The three-time European Solheim Cup player has six victories on the Ladies European Tour.

Americans Jennifer Kupcho (65) and Jennifer Song (65) were tied for second.

Third-round leader Nasa Hataoka was 12 under after a 70.

Ryann O’Toole (67) and Kelly Tan -(65) were 11 under. Brooke Henderson (65) was another stroke back after shooting a 6-under 65 in Saturday’s third round.

“I think if I can continue to make as many birdies as I did today and continue to hit the ball in good spots, I feel like Brit have done a good job of judging the conditions, especially the wind,” said Henderson. “Hopefully give ourselves a lot good looks for birdie and hopefully I can continue to climb.”

Alena Sharp of Hamilton, Ont., sits 29 at 5 under par.

Defending champion Lexi Thompson, winless since the June event last year, was 6 under after a 68.

The tournament is being contested at 72 holes for only the second time since it began in 1986. The additional round replaced the pro-am that was cancelled because there are no spectators. The major KPMG Women’s PGA Championship is next week at Aronimink outside Philadelphia.

GALLOWAY, N.J. – Calgary’s Jaclyn Lee withdrew from the ShopRite LPGA Classic on Tuesday after learning that her caddie tested positive for COVID-19.

Lee said in a tweet that she learned of her caddie’s positive test on Tuesday morning, despite her caddie having no symptoms.

The 23-year-old has spent most of her season on the Symetra Tour.

She returned to the LPGA Tour on Aug. 6 at the Marathon Classic at Highland Meadows Golf Club in Sylvania, Ohio.

After finding out this morning that my caddie tested positive for COVID-19 despite not showing symptoms, I have WD from @ShopRiteLPGA. While I wish I could be playing this week, I am working with the @LPGA to take all of the proper precautions needed in this unusual time. pic.twitter.com/GE097PCulc

— Jaclyn Lee (@JaclynLee57) September 29, 2020

A severe wrist injury derailed Lee’s 2019 campaign and she has a medical exemption for this season.

RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. – Mirim Lee chipped in three times Sunday, the last one for eagle on the final hole that got her into a three-way playoff at the ANA Inspiration that she won on the first extra hole with a birdie.

It was another wild finish in the LPGA major that moved from the first weekend of April to the 100-degree heat of September, and no one was more surprised than the 29-year-old Lee.

She was never in the lead at any point until she calmly holed a 5-foot birdie putt on the 18th to beat Nelly Korda and Brooke Henderson, who each had the lead on the back nine.

“Yeah, I definitely played really well this week, which is definitely a really nice feeling and definitely gives me confidence moving forward,” said Henderson. “I felt like I missed a lot of putts, especially those final rounds where I feel like maybe it could have been a different story, but Mirim and Nelly played great, and I really fought my way around, so I’m happy.”

Lee pitched in from long range for par on the 16th, dropped a shot on the next hole and appeared to be out of it until her chip from behind the 18th green rammed against the pin and dropped for eagle and a 5-under 67.

Korda, the 22-year-old American going for her first major, had a two-shot lead with four holes to play and couldn’t hold it. With a one-shot lead going to the par-5 18th, Korda missed the fairway, had to lay up and missed the green to the right, having to scramble for par and a 69 just to match Lee at 15-under 273

Henderson lost the lead with a double bogey on the 13th hole that nearly cost her. But she birdied the 16th and was saved by the wall, a blue-covered structure behind the 18th that kept her second shot on the 18th from running through the green and into the water behind the island green.

She got up-and-down for birdie and a 69 to join the playoff.

On the first extra hole, Korda again missed the fairway and had to lay up, and her wedge was 25 feet short for a birdie putt that never had a chance. Henderson’s second shot came up just short, and she used putter for her eagle attempt that rolled out some 7 feet past the cup on the sun-baked, fast greens of Mission Hills. Her birdie putt missed on the left side.

Lee hit 5-wood just over the back of the putting surface, chipped to 5 feet and made the winner.

Even with world No. 1 Jin Young Ko and U.S. Women’s Open champion Jeongeun Lee6 staying home because of travel concerns with the coronavirus, Lee made it 10 consecutive years with a South Korea winning a major.

It was her fourth LPGA Tour victory, and first since the Kia Classic three years ago.

Her victory spared more conversation about the blue wall behind the 18th green, which the tournament erected in place of a hospitality chalet that was not needed this year because there were no spectators.

It was talked about all week, and the chalet in a normal year has blocked shots hit too hard. But it nearly decided the tournament. Henderson was one shot behind with her ball sitting up in the rough on the 18th in regulation. She hit 5-wood through the green and under the blue bunting, allowing for a drop.

She chipped down to 2 feet for birdie to join the three-way playoff.

Henderson needed a break after having to spend the final hour trying to catch up to Korda. The Canadian took her only lead on the 12th hole when Korda made bogey, and it didn’t last long.

Henderson drove into the right rough on the 13th and 6-iron in the wrong place – right again, with a bunker guarding the front right pin. She flopped that into the bunker and didn’t get up-and-down, leading to double bogey.

 

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Respect ? Great run down the stretch from @brookehendersongolf, who finished T2 behind first-time major winner Mirim Lee ??

A post shared by CP Women’s Open (@cpwomensopen) on Sep 13, 2020 at 4:43pm PDT

Korda answered with a tee shot into 5 feet for birdie on the par-3 14th, and suddenly her lead was at two. But she couldn’t hang on. Henderson’s 8-foot birdie putt curled in the left side of the cup on No. 16 with perfect speed. Korda held onto the lead at the 17th with an 8-foot par putt, and that set up the big finish on the 18th.

Through it all, Lee was an afterthought until her stunning finish.

She already chipped in for birdie from short of the green at No. 6. Lee gave herself a chance by pitching in from short of the 16th green to a back pin. And after a bogey on the 17th, she went long of the 18th and chipped in for eagle, dropping her head with a soft smile in disbelief.

Lexi Thompson, going after a second title at Mission Hills, was never a serious factor after bogeys that slowed her momentum. She closed with two birdies on her last three holes for a 69 to finish two shots out of the playoff.

U.S. Women’s Amateur champion Rose Zhang birdied the 18th for a 72 to tie for 11th. She finished at 8-under 280, setting the record for lowest score by an amateur.

RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. – Canadian Brooke Henderson tied a Mission Hills record with a 30 on the front nine and did just enough the rest of the round Saturday for a 7-under 65 and a share of the lead with Nelly Korda in the ANA Inspiration.

Henderson, from Smiths Falls, Ont., started the weekend six shots behind and wanted only to get as close to the lead as possible. Now she goes into the final round with a second major championship in her sights.

Korda began with a two-shot lead and fell three shots back with a rough stretch on the front nine, particularly the sixth hole by hitting 5-wood through the fairway into the gnarly rough and not getting over the water, leading to double bogey.

She rallied with three birdies on the back nine, however, for a 71 that allowed her to join Henderson at 12-under 204.

Brooke was on ? with the low round of the day to grab a share of the lead

Highlights from her 7-under 65 ?? pic.twitter.com/1RDDOaUDfk

— CP Women’s Open (@cpwomensopen) September 12, 2020

They have a two-shot lead over Lexi Thompson (69), Mirim Lee (71) and Katherine Kirk, who quietly went about her business with a 67 that landed the Australian in the final group.

“Sort of an easy start which was nice, and relaxed a little bit,” Henderson said. “Being moving day, I wanted to get a solid round out there and try to climb the leaderboard as much as possible. Still a lot of golf to be played, but nice to see my name up there. And hopefully, tomorrow I can post a similar round.”

It was the hottest day of the tournament, the temperature climbing just past 100 degrees late in the day, helped by a mild haze from California fires that kept the sun from burning brighter. Korda was among those with an umbrella on the back nine to fend off the sun.

.@BrookeHenderson is your clubhouse leader at 12 under heading into major championship Sunday at the @ANAinspiration ?? pic.twitter.com/6oouojlCyi

— Golf Canada (@GolfCanada) September 12, 2020

Korda, the 22-year-old going for her first major, began to claw her way back with a birdie on the par-5 11th, a gap wedge to 3 feet for birdie on the 12th and a pitching wedge just over the bunker that rolled out to 5 feet for birdie on the 15th, regaining a share of the lead.

She laid up on the par-5 18th but left her wedge about 18 feet above the hole and had to settle for a par.

Thompson, four behind to start the round, got back in the game quickly with a two-shot swing on Korda on consecutive holes. Thompson holed a 35-foot birdie putt on the par-3 fifth, where Korda three-putted for bogey, and then Korda made her double bogey on the next hole. Thompson hit a short wedge to a foot to close out the back nine and appeared to be making her move.

Instead, that was the last birdie she made. Her best putt was a 15-footer for par on No. 13. She was among the few who went for the green on the 18th, sending it to the right and under the chair of a cameraman. She made a bold pitch down the hill to 5 feet and missed the birdie putt.

Ten players were separated by four shots, a group that included Carlota Ciganda at 9-under 207 and former Mission Hills winner Stacy Lewis another shot back.

Also at 8-under 208 was U.S. Women’s Amateur champion Rose Zhang, who shot a 68. The 17-year-old won the Amateur last month over Gabriela Ruffels, who was at 6-under 210 in a strong showing by amateurs this week.

Hamilton’s Alena Sharp (73) was tied for 62nd.

Henderson began her round by missing a short birdie putt, which annoyed her only up until a 3-wood on the next hole to 12 feet that led to eagle, and she was on her way. She closed out her front nine with a pitch to 2 feet for birdie and a 30, and was only disappointed she didn’t pick up more on the back nine.

No matter. She was tied for the lead, more than she would have expected when she teed off. And while the Canadian viewed this round as moving day, Sunday might not be much different with so many players still in the mix.

That includes Kirk, a 38-year-old Aussie with three LPGA victories and one runner-up in her previous 59 appearances in major championships. She opened with two quick birdies and did enough to think about what it would be like to win the ANA Inspiration and take the plunge into Popie’s Pond around the 18th green.

“It’s so stinking hot out here and it would be great to cool off,” Kirk said. “I have a lot of hard work, and there are a lot of great players on the leaderboard so I’m probably going to have to go low tomorrow and it’s going to take a really good number. But anything is possible in this game.”

RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. – The numbers suggested a stress-free time in the desert for Nelly Korda, who had five birdies and a clean card Friday for a 5-under 67 to build a two-shot lead going into the hot weekend at the ANA Inspiration.

All she could think about were two pars.

The only fairway she missed was on her 11th hole, the par-5 second, and she was badly out of position the entire way until making an 18-foot par putt to escape her big mess. One hole later, after hitting a fat shot from the fairway, she again had to make a par putt from some 25 feet.

“I did not know what I was doing on those two holes,” Korda said. “I was happy those two went in. Golf is just all about momentum, so you roll one in here and there and it just makes it a lot easier.”

It only figures to get harder from here.

Korda was at 11-under 133, two shots clear of Mirim Lee, who also played bogey-free in the rising heat for a 65. Joining them in the final group is a daunting figure in these parts, Lexi Thompson, a past champion at Mission Hills who can overpower the Dinah Shore course.

Thompson made up ground quickly with three birdies in a four-hole stretch at the start of her round, including a 4-iron from 220 yards to 6 feet on the par-5 second (she missed the eagle putt) and a 9-iron from 164 yards on the par-3 fifth that led to a 15-foot birdie.

With the tee moved up on the par-5 18th, she swung for the fences and nearly pulled it into the lake, saved by the September date because the ball sinks instead of rolls in the Bermuda rough. She settled for par and a 67 to finish four shots behind, along with Nanna Koertz Madsen (69).

“I left a few out there, but also I made a lot of good putts,” Thompson said.

Brooke Henderson (71) of Smiths Falls, Ont., was tied for seventh at 5 under, six shots back of Korda. Hamilton’s Alena Sharp (71) was tied for 61st at 2 over.

Danielle Kang looked poised to join the chase, a big week because she is projected to reach No. 1 in the world with a victory. Her momentum was slowed by bugs, a brick wall and a bridge.

Kang came in too steep on a wedge from the 10th fairway and was 10 feet short of the green. She opted to use her putter, but backed off three times from bugs flying around her face. Then, she left it 7 feet short and missed the par putt. She stalked to the back of the green, clearly annoyed, and it didn’t help when she and Anna Nordqvist were put on the clock.

Kang was out of sorts, quickly walking after missed putts. On the 15th, she pulled her tee shot near a wall, and after asking if she could get relief – it was a boundary wall, so no – she hit into the wall trying to get it back to the fairway. It went only about 10 yards, and she had to scramble for bogey.

And then on the 18th, her approach ran through the green and just onto the carpet-lined bridge across Poppie’s Pond. She pitched off the bridge to 6 feet and missed the birdie putt for a 71. She was six shots back, still in the mix.

Korda, however, has looked solid. Thompson’s name on the board stands out given her power and record at Mission Hills.

Korda hit 13 fairways, not the most difficult task with the lush Bermuda grass cutting back how much the ball rolls. More impressive was missing only four greens, and taking 26 putts on greens already sun-baked and fast.

“Definitely very happy with my putting today, and I was superbly happy with bogey-free,” she said.

She picked up two birdies on the par 3s on the back nine and looked like she might give those shots back when she tugged her tee shot on No. 2. She considered taking a drop from the cart path until realizing she would be thick rough, so she hit 4-hybrid some 30 yards out to the right, leaving her no angle.

“Near dead over there,” she said. “Honestly, I was super happy with rolling that putt in. I was like, ‘Just get me off this hole.”

The greens were pure in the morning, though getting the speed right was critical because they are rolling out a few extra feet, putting an even greater premium on pace.

“The thing out here is you hit a solid putt and it keeps on going,” Korda said. “You think it’s going to stop, and it just keeps on releasing, so then you’re like, `This is a good putt, this could possibly go in,’ and then it releases 5 to 6 feet because that’s just how it is out here. I had a lot of 5- and 6-footers for par today.”

And she made them all. That decision to change to a left-hand low grip at the Women’s British Open three weeks ago at Royal Troon looks like the right move. And her confidence is soaring.

The temperatures are trending that direction, too, with a forecast of around 105 to 110 degrees for the weekend.

The weekend will include five of the six amateurs, tying a record at this event. Leading the way was Gabriela Ruffels at 5 under, with Rose Zhang another shot back. Zhang won the U.S. Women’s Amateur last month to deny Ruffels back-to-back wins.