Hyo Joo Kim doubles lead to 4 strokes in the Founders Cup
MENLO PARK, Calif. (AP) — Hyo Joo Kim doubled her lead to four strokes Friday in the Fortinet Founders Cup, capping a late afternoon rally with a 6-foot birdie putt on the par-3 eighth. A day after holing out for eagle on the par-5 18th hole for a 9-under 63 and a two-shot lead, Kim shot 70 in her afternoon round at tree-lined Sharon Heights.
Gabby Lopez was second at 7 under after a 70 in the morning session, with top-ranked Jeeno Thitikul and Nelly Korda in the group another shot back. Playing the back nine first Friday, Kim bogeyed Nos. 11 and 17, then rebounded with birdies on 18, 1 and 3 and 8.
“The golf course is a bit hard,” Kim said. “The tee shots are hard to play and the shape of the course is a little tricky. I try my best to just try to do what I need to do.
” The South Korean player, ranked eighth in the world, won the 2015 Founders Cup in Phoenix for the second of her seven LPGA Tour titles. “It’s been so long. ” Kim said about the 2015 victory.
“I think I won my rookie year. It was an unforgettable memory because it was my first win as a LPGA member. ” Coming off a third-place finish last month in Thailand, Kim is the defending champion next week in Arizona in the Ford Championship at Wild Horse Pass.