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The golden opportunity came calling for Charley Hull at the age of 15. He had an eight-footer for birdie on the par-five and it slipped away. She mumbles a bit about the greens. Nelly Korda said of them this week: “You see one thing on the greens and you react completely differently.”
As soon as Sei Young Kim joins Sophia Schubert at the top, she makes a surprise play at 15. She completely let go of the club, winced, felt the side, and watched her ball to the ‘left and then took a huge leap further to the left. Back on the par-three 14th, Schubert finds the heart of the green.
Here’s a look at Sophia Schubert in action. Sei Young Kim has joined her in the lead after the Korean birdied the 14th. Saigo missed a chance to do the same on the 17th. Time may be running out for her. Meanwhile, Nelly Korda’s struggles continue: double-bogey six on 15. She’s now two.
Updated at 2.29pm BST
So Yeon Ryu admitted after entering the fray halfway through, “I’m not going to lie, I’m very happy to be in the fray. It’s been a long time.” Yesterday she said she was a little nervous. Today, especially and understandably so after that four-putt, it seems so.
2:21pm BST Leaderboard
Nelly Korda has trouble on the 15th, hacking from under the trees in the long grass. Caddy and the player are having an awkward conversation about their options. And Hull joined in the second second.-15: Schubert (12) -14: Saigo (16), Hull (14), HJ Kim (14), Korda (14), SY Kim (13), Henderson (11 )
Updated at 2.24pm BST
Hail Sophia! Yes, I just googled Schubert’s most famous work to celebrate Sophia Schubert getting the top spot for herself. Birdie on the 12th and she’s in absurdly uncharted LPGA territory for her.
And then there were six. Henderson misses his par putt at the 11th. Half a dozen players now share first place and Nelly Korda hit her tee shot on 15 into the trees. We’re getting the drama we’ve been waiting for in this morning’s preamble.
Well done Georgia Hall. The Englishwoman joins Linn Grant on 13 under with her second three-boge of the day on the 18th.
Updated at 2.13pm BST
Brooke Henderson must feel like she’s being ambushed! She has five golfers one behind her in 14 years: Mao Saigo, Nelly Korda, Hyo Koo Kim, Sei Young Kim and Sophia Schubert. And Henderson is in the twisted grass at the back of the 11th green. He has 10 feet to stay clear. A moment of convulsion for her.
Notice to leaders. Earlier, Cheyenne Knight was six through 15 and also made a three-boge eagle at the 18th. But he triple-bogeyed six at the par-three 16th. Don’t find the sand at the bottom of the green like she did! Saigo is on the tee, and Sophia Schubert birdied 11 to join those behind the leader.
Saigo makes another birdie on the 15th. It’s the eighth of the day. He has also made two bogeys. Only the five paragraphs and not yet one in the back nine. It has the potential to mark a very tough target for leaders. He is 14 with three to play and just one behind Henderson.
“I’m very, very happy with today.” That’s what Linn Grant says after 64 years. He adds a shrewd reflection on the course, which explains many of today’s rather volatile scores: “I like that you can score really well, but it’s also hard if you’re having a bad day.”
Another element of Schubert’s tale. When he turned pro, it took him seven months to post a sub-70 at the second level and two and a half years to finish in the top 10. He promptly made seven in eight starts and ended his career with a win . She still doesn’t have a top 10 on the LPGA. What a week for her. It has eight holes to hang on to and hopefully move in the right direction.
1:45pm BST Qualifying
We have reached the last nine. This is where it starts right?! Hull just dropped a shot on 11 and leader Henderson failed to birdie the par-five 9th: -15: Henderson (9) -14: Korda (12), SY Kim (10) -13: Grant (F ), Saigo (14), HJ Kim (12) Ciganda (9), Schubert (9)
Don Harris emails: “How do you like to win, Matt?” I’m a romantic golf watcher, Don. I like giant slayers more than giants. I would love for Sophia Schubert to find something special.
The complicated nature of the course is revealed in microcosm by Nelly Korda’s second shot on the 12th. The ball is well above her feet, a tree makes her options a bit difficult, the green is awkwardly shaped and her ball come out A complicated up and down to get to save par. There will be more of the same over the back nine for everyone.
Swedish sensation Linn Grant adds another birdie on the 18th hole to complete a 7-under 64. She has set a club goal of 13-under 271 (tied for fourth in the live standings).
Saigo has won five times this year on the Japan Tour. She has also been second twice. Playing her first year of major golf, she finished T44th at the US Women’s Open and T30th at the KPMG PGA Championship.
Japan’s Mao Saigo is on fire. He played the front nine four under, dropped a shot on the 10th, but has bounced back with back-to-back birdies. She was 13 under for the week to 12, tied for third and two back. Sei Young Kim joins Nelly Korda at 14, stuck behind the leader.
Remember the previous post about Linn Grant? How is it his 11th start as a pro and he still hasn’t finished lower than T13?! He is six under for the day and is tied for seventh. Such an exciting prospect.
This is how Nelly Korda got back into contention. The TV is playing montages of classical music, but not Schubert, who seems to be missing a trick. Or they are just less predictable than I am.
Cool by Brooke Henderson. He followed up his four-putt at the 6th with a one-putt birdie at the 7th. The Canuck regains the lead, one ahead of Korda at 15 under.
Updated at 1.17pm BST
Nelly Korda is putting her game where her mouth is. He said Wednesday: “Honestly, what I love about sports is the roller coaster. I love the lows where you have to get better and push and dig deeper to get back to where you want to be.” He was referring to recovering from a blood clot earlier this year, but the same applies to his response to that double bogey on the 6th.
1:04pm BST Leaderboard
A bunker hole on the 9th for Nelly Korda for an eagle three! And with that he has taken the lead. Before we had a little change in dynamics, the last 15 minutes are more profound. -14: Korda (9), Henderson (6) -13: SY Kim (8), Schubert (6), Ryu (6) -12: Saigo (11), Hull (8), HJ Kim (8), Ciganda (7)
It’s an important week for women’s football, of course, with the European Championship in its final stages. There was a time when this event was famous for a Caddies vs. Players football match that often involved an eclectic range of players from tennis players Guy Forget and Fabrice Santoro to spiral actor Samir Boitard to Robert Pires , Laurent Blanc and Zinedine Zidane. Mel Reid, Anne Van Dam and Carlota Ciganda were among the most enthusiastic participants and Reid’s attempt to beat Bixente Lizarazu remains one of the historic moments of the match. Ciganda has his eyes firmly on the golf today and has just arranged a short birdie opportunity on the 7th.
Henderson’s approach on the 6th found the green, but that was the only good news! His birdie putt was miles away and hit 18 feet. The par putt was three feet. The bogey putt caught his attention – he remembered what playing partner So Yeon Ryu did on the previous green – and, well, another four-putt double bogey for the final group.
Second place change. Hyo Joo Kim has left this stretch of four, three behind the lead, but Sophia Schubert rises with a 12-foot birdie at the sixth. And incredibly Jin Young Ko lips another birdie putt. It is at the height of the day and is left behind.
Ouch. Ryu three-putted from within five feet for a double bogey. His former coach once said he has the greatest sense of calm in sports. She will need it! Hull lands a second birdie in as many holes ahead. She is now tied for second with the two Kims and Ryu, three behind Henderson.
Updated at 12.51 BST
“Ooh la la! Don’t fuck me! Don’t fuck me! Yay, yay, yay.” French TV captures the Korda chaos.
Updated at 12.40pm BST
12.34pm BST Leaderboard
The 2014 winner of this event, Hyo Joo Kim, has made back-to-back birdies to join Sei Young Kim in 13 years. -16: Henderson (4) -15: Ryu (4) -13: HJ Kim (7), SY Kim (5) -12: Korda (7), Hull (6), Thitikul (6), Ciganda (4) , Schubert (4)
Updated at 12.35pm BST
(A little note: TV has Henderson 16 under, the LPGA and LET score have her at 17).
A second birdie of the day from Charley Hull on the 6th. Hopefully we can see her driving the ball now. Its fierce recoil is one of the sport’s great sights, like golf’s version of a medieval trebuchet. She is one under for the day, 12 under for the week and tied for fourth.
Comedy and tragedy in the 6th grade. Sort of. It’s just golf. But after the fan caught the ball, Korda double-bogeyed 6. All his good work undone. She is now six years old and deflated.
Henderson leads again at 16 under. Par for her and an error by Ryu in the 3rd to drop one. Kim has joined Korda at 13 under, three adrift of the Canadian. The American is eight feet for bogey at 6.
Updated at 12.28 BST
Korda is allowed to properly replace his ball. The errant fan dropped it in an unsightly spot among the wood chips and the TV umpires called on their teammates on the field to direct the ball to the right place. Meanwhile, the lady is hiding somewhere in the fetal position. Or still celebrating. Korda misses the green and is in danger of losing momentum.
Oh my word! Nelly Korda made a terrible approach to the 6 and a spectator caught the ball and celebrated his find. Extraordinary scenes.
Linn Grant from Sweden is enjoying life as a professional. The…