SINGAPORE – South Korea’s Ha Na Jang has developed a habit of making the extraordinary seem normal.

In January, she made a hole-in-one on a par-4 and last month she won her first U.S. LPGA Tour title, at the Coates Golf Championship in Florida.

Jang was at it again on Friday, holing a monster eagle putt from off the green on her way to a 6-under 66 to grab a share of the halfway lead with compatriot Mirim Lee at the HSBC Women’s Champions.

“I was very comfortable on the front nine,” Jang said. “I was talking to myself, ‘Don’t do too much thinking … just be patient.'”

Lee got up and down from a greenside bunker to birdie the last and shoot a 67 to join Jang in a two-way tie at the top of a congested leaderboard after a wet and windy second round at Sentosa Golf Club.

Thailand’s Pornaning Phatlum carded a 67 and Norway’s Suzann Petterson signed for a 69 to be equal third, a stroke behind the leading pair, with a group of four players lurking just one shot further behind and a total of 34 players under par.

The joint overnight leaders, Taiwanese veteran Candie Kung and Australian teenager Minjee Lee both finished strongly after mixed rounds to remain in contention.

Canada’s Brooke Henderson carded a sub-par round of 71 to put her two-day tally at 3-under-par 141. She’s 5-shots off the lead heading to the weekend.

PONTE VEDRA BEACH and DAYTONA BEACH, FL – The PGA TOUR and the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) announced that they have formalized their longstanding cooperative relationship by entering into a long-term, written strategic alliance agreement designed to further promote the growth of golf.  This partnership between the leading men’s and women’s professional golf tours will include areas such as schedule coordination, joint marketing programs, domestic television representation, digital media and exploring the potential development of joint events.

“From our collaboration in bringing golf back as an Olympic sport as joint members of the International Golf Federation to our cooperation in helping to grow the game of golf as part of the World Golf Foundation, our two organizations have had a long history of working together for the common good of our sport,” said PGA TOUR Commissioner Tim Finchem.  “Extending our relationship with the LPGA into these new areas is a natural extension of this work and collaboration.”

“We believe the PGA TOUR has significant expertise in the areas that we will focus on together and working more closely with them carries with it the very real potential of positively impacting our members, our tournaments, and our ability to grow our sport around the world,” said LPGA Commissioner Mike Whan.  “We look forward to working with the PGA TOUR team to deliver a positive impact for our sport.”

Both organizations emphasized that while the alliance strengthens their relationship and the potential benefits of working together in these various areas are attractive for the overall growth of the sport, it involves no formal financial investment or transfer of ownership or control.  Both parties remain wholly separate and independent organizations.

SINGAPORE – Australian teenager Minjee Lee took a share of the lead with Taiwan’s Candie Kung at the LPGA’s Women’s Champions tournament in Singapore on Thursday.

Lee made four birdies and an eagle in her opening round of 5-under 67 to join Kung at the top of the leaderboard on a windy day at the Sentosa Golf Club.

The defending champion, South Korea’s Inbee Park, was among a group of four players tied for third at 4-under 68.

Canada’s Brooke Henderson carded five birdies compared to three bogeys to open with a 2-under 70. She’s tied for 12th with a slew of players including Angela Stanford, Cristie Kerr and Sandra Gal.

World No. 1 Lydia Ko and in-form Lexi Thompson both shot rounds of 1-under 71.

Ko had a frustrating day, parring her first 10 holes before dropping a shot on the 11th but the New Zealander knocked in two late birdies to finish in red figures.

“I didn’t have that many birdie opportunities today, so unless my long putts were going to be hot, I wasn’t going to shoot extremely low,” she said.

Thompson, who won in Thailand last week, made four birdies but lost her momentum when she took a double-bogey on the 11th.

CHONBURI, Thailand – American Lexi Thompson won her seventh LPGA title after a final-round 68 that completed a six-stroke victory over In Gee Chun of South Korea in the final round of the LPGA Thailand at the par-72 course at the Siam Country Club on Sunday.

The 21-year-old from Florida hit an eagle on the 10th to go along with three birdies and a lone bogey for a 20-under-par total of 268 to become the first American winner of the tournament.

“I never like to count it as a win until it’s over. I just try to play aggressive and play my best out there,” said the No. 4-ranked player whose four-shot advantage at the start of the final round was reduced to one after the Korean opened with three straight birdies.

“I was just saying I had to make birdies to win this thing. She was playing unbelievable with a three-birdie start there, and I knew I had to make birdies to stop her. I was just trying to focus on my game and nobody else’s out there,’ added Thompson.

Chun, winner of the US Women Open last year, added four bogeys to her eight biridies on the final day to end with a 70 and a four-day total of 14 under 274.

No. 25-ranked Jessica Korda of the United States fired eight birdies for a 64 and a 13 under total of 275, giving her a share of third place along with defending champion Amy Yang of South Korea, who signed off with a 70.

“It would have been nice to not shoot three over yesterday and end up pulling myself totally out of the tournament, but it’s a good redemption around for sure,” said Korda, who recovered from a dismal 76 on Saturday.

CHONBURI, Thailand – Lexi Thompson shot an 8-under 64 Saturday in the third round of the LPGA Thailand to establish a four-stroke lead over Korean In Gee Chun at Siam Country Club.

The fourth-ranked American fired nine birdies – against a lone bogey on the 16th – for an overall 16-under 200.

“I missed a putt on the first hole which got me down a little bit, but I tried to stay positive going into the next hole and fire at pins like I did the first day,” said Thompson, who is chasing her seventh LPGA Tour career victory.

Thompson has won four out of the six times she has led after the third round.

Chun carded three birdies on both the front and back nine for a 6-under 66.

Overnight leader and defending champion Amy Yang (70) had five birdies and three bogeys. The South Korean is five shots off the lead.

HONBURI, Thailand – Defending champion Amy Yang carded a 3-under 69 to lead by one halfway through the LPGA Thailand on Friday.

Yang trailed first-round leader Lexi Thompson by two before teeing off at Siam Country Club, then had consecutive bogeys on Nos. 5 and 6, but rallied with four birdies, including on the par-3 12th.

At 9 under overall, the South Korean was one shot ahead of countrywoman Q Baek (71) and Americans Jessica Korda (66) and Thompson (72).

“I struggled a little bit on the front, two bogeys straight, but I stayed patient, got through it well,” Yang said. “Leading by one shot is not much, and two more rounds is still a lot of golf.”

Korda’s low round of the day, matched by Haru Nomura of Japan, was capped by a 12-foot eagle putt on her last hole.

Xi Yu Lin of China hit a hole in one on the 186-yard, par-3 16th, and earned a Honda Accord.

There are no Canadians in the field.

CHONBURI, Thailand – Lexi Thompson had two eagles in an 8-under 64 Thursday to take a one-stroke lead over Q Baek at the LPGA Tour’s Thailand tournament.

Amy Yang, the defending champion, shot 66 and was two strokes behind after the first round. Two golfers were tied for fourth after opening 68s – Azahara Munoz and Jenny Shin.

“Two eagles definitely helps out the scorecard,” Thompson said. “We couldn’t have asked for better conditions, weather-wise and golf course, so just happy to be out here.”

The 20-year-old Baek won her first and only LPGA title on home soil in South Korea in 2014. She had an eagle and five birdies in her round of 65.

Currently ranked No. 4, Thompson could overtake No. 3 Stacy Lewis as the top-ranked American with a win this week in Thailand and become the first American to win the event in its 10-year history.

“I think I was just very confident out there,” Thompson said. “I committed to all my shots, just aiming at pins and focused on doing my routine, staying relaxed, and I think that’s what helped me out the most.”

She got off to a quick start with an eagle at the par-5 first hole, followed by two more birdies and another eagle on the par-5 seventh to make the turn in 30.

Thompson bettered her low round at Siam Country Club’s Old Course by two strokes and finished one stroke away from matching the course record of 63 after missing a birdie putt at the last.

Thompson is playing with a new driver this week, and said she used it on nearly every hole, hitting 11 of 14 fairways.

“I’ve been trying to work into it for probably the last few months, and just trying to find a shaft that works for me, and finally found something I’m very comfortable with,” Thompson said.

ADELAIDE, Australia – Honolulu-based Haru Nomura of Japan won her first LPGA tournament in her 72nd start, shooting a closing 7-under 65 on Sunday to win the Women’s Australian Open by three strokes.

Nomura, who was tied for the lead with two others going into the final round at The Grange’s West course, finished with a 16-under total of 272.

Top-ranked and defending champion Lydia Ko, who trailed by a stroke after three rounds, finished second after a 67.

Five-time champion Karrie Webb shot 71 to finish third, seven strokes behind Nomura. American Danielle Kang was tied for fourth after a 73, eight strokes behind.

Webb, who trailed by a stroke at the start of the final round, had three birdies in her first five holes to take a share of the lead, but those were her last under-par holes of the round.

Canada’s Brooke Henderson carded a final-round 67 to share 9th spot at 7-under for the tournament.

Nomura, whose previous best finishes were three top 10s, had birdies on 15, 16 and 17 and five overall on the back nine before a bogey on 18.

Born in Japan to a South Korean mother and Japanese father, Nomura said she wasn’t intimidated by Ko being so close late in the round.

“Golf is the fight of my own, it’s not against someone else,” she said. “Even though someone else plays well, if I hit my goals, then I win.”

Starting as third-round leader with Kang and South Korean Jenny Shin, Nomura had four birdies in six holes on the front nine. When Ko challenged on the back nine with three birdies in five holes to leave the New Zealander just one shot behind, Nomura responded with her three consecutive birdies.

Shin closed with a 74 to finish nine strokes behind.

Ko said she was not happy to finish the tournament with a bogey, but was overall pleased with her play.

“My goal was to shoot 67 today and I shot 67,” she said. “I played really well, but Haru played even better, and the roars I could hear she seemed like she was holing a lot of putts. So when another player does it, it’s really out of my hands.”

Webb said she was disappointed she couldn’t continue her early birdie run.

“I got off to a good start, I made a couple of putts and that was it,” she said. “I hit it really nicely again today, and it just gets really frustrating out there on the greens.”

The tournament was also sanctioned by the Australian Ladies and Ladies European Tour. Next week, the two tours will sanction the Australian Ladies Masters at Royal Pines on the Gold Coast south of Brisbane.

ADELAIDE, Australia – American Danielle Kang shot a 5-under 67 on Saturday to move into a share of the third-round lead with South Korea’s Jenny Shin and Haru Nomura of Japan at the Women’s Australian Open.

Leading contenders Lydia Ko and Karrie Webb were just one stroke off the lead at The Grange’s West course.

Kang, the 2010 and 2011 U.S. Amateur champion, is chasing her first win on the LPGA Tour. She was at 9-under 207 along with Shin and Nomura, who each had 70s.

Tied for fourth were defending champion and No. 1-ranked Ko with a 68 and five-time champion Webb after a 70.

Catriona Matthew, the 46-year-old Scot who was tied for the lead after two rounds, shot a 73 and was 7-under, two strokes off the lead.

Smiths Falls, Ont., product Brooke Henderson posted a 73 and sits T30. Fellow Ontarian Alena Sharp of Hamilton carded a 70 to reach even-par for a share of 40th.

ADELAIDE, Australia – England’s Holly Clyburn shot a 7-under 65 Friday to take a share of the second-round lead with 46-year-old Scottish golfer Catriona Matthew at the Women’s Australian Open.

Clyburn and 1996 champion Matthew (69) had 36-hole totals of 8-under 136 on The Grange’s West course.

They held a one-stroke lead over four players – Germany’s Caroline Masson, who shot 71, China’s Lin Xiyu (67), South Korea’s Jenny Shin (70) and Haru Nomura of Japan (68).

“I think that’s the beauty of golf, you know you can play, it doesn’t matter what your age is really as long as you can still hit the golf ball and get it in the hole,” Matthew said. “Age isn’t a barrier.”

Jack Nicklaus, who won his sixth Masters title at Augusta in 1986 at the age of 46 – the last of his record 18 majors – agreed. He took the time to send a tweet to Matthew following her round Friday.

“Hang in there and don’t give up, finish strong! Everyone wrote me off at 46!” Nicklaus said on Twitter.

Two strokes behind the leaders and in seventh place after a 71 was five-time champion Karrie Webb. She had a 67 Thursday.

“It was a bit scratchier today. I wasn’t as sharp with my iron play,” Webb said. “I still hit 14 greens but didn’t have a lot of decent looks at birdies. I just really hung in there.”

Canadian-based South Korean SooBin Kim, the first-round leader who shot a course-record 63 on Thursday, bogeyed five of her final seven holes Friday for a 77 and fell to 4-under, tied in a group four behind the leaders.

Top-ranked and defending champion Lydia Ko, who won last week’s New Zealand Women’s Open, had a second consecutive 70 and was also at 4-under.

“I feel like I’m in a good position. I reckon I could have cut a few more shots down but at the same time I think could have gone higher, so it all balances out,” Ko said. “But being a couple or a few shots behind isn’t a bad position.”

Canadian Brooke Henderson shot 71 Friday and was at 3-under, five strokes behind. There were 20 golfers within four shots of the lead.

Cheyenne Woods had a 78 and was at 4-over and missed the cut, as did former champion Laura Davies after a 76 to finish at 10-under.

Clyburn, winner of last year’s New South Wales Open, began her round with an eagle and three birdies in her first five holes.

“I was loving it, really,” Clyburn said. “I have been waiting for this round for a long time.”

In October 2014, Clyburn was well-placed in the second stage of LPGA qualifying but was disqualified when her playing partner failed to sign her scorecard.

“Probably what happened 14, 15 months ago was for the best, I don’t know,” Clyburn said. It’s her second start on the LPGA Tour.

Matthew won the Australian Open 20 years ago at Yarra Yarra in Melbourne and, among other wins, added two majors – the Women’s British Open title in 2009 and the LPGA Championship in 2013.

With her husband, Graeme on the bag – he’s been her caddie for 16 years – the Scottish player has hit 16 greens in each of her first two rounds, including a 67 Thursday in tougher afternoon conditions.

“It’s tricky if you start missing the greens out here, it’s not easy up and down,” Matthew said.

The tournament is also sanctioned by the Australian Women’s and Ladies European tours.

Alena Sharp of Hamilont, Ont., sits tied for 66th following a round of 75.