BELMONT, Mich. — Lexi Thompson was again in rivalry going into the weekend in her beloved Meijer LPGA Basic, a yr after a playoff loss at Blythefield County Membership.
Making her sixth begin of the season in a part-time tour schedule, Thompson birdied three of the final 4 holes in breezy afternoon situations for a 3-under 69 and a 7 below complete. The 2015 winner at Blythefield was a stroke behind leaders Karis Davidson, Carlota Ciganda, Hye-Jin Choi and Celine Boutier.
“The golf course is one factor. It is at all times in nice form for us, which we at all times sit up for,” Thompson mentioned after the bogey-free spherical on the tree-lined format.
“However the quantity of assist that the match will get and in addition how Meijer offers again to the neighborhood as nicely. It is not only a match. It is a lot larger than that.”
The 30-year-old from Florida received the final of her 11 LPGA Tour titles in 2019.
“Some days are more durable than others and we get pissed off, however on the finish of the day it’s simply golf,” Thompson mentioned. She can be set to play subsequent week within the main KPMG Girls’s PGA Championship in Texas.
Davidson, enjoying within the second-to-last group off the primary tee, birdied the par-4 sixteenth and par-5 18th for a 70.
“We simply actually hung in there in the present day,” Davidson mentioned. “Was a little bit of a grind, and good to get the couple birdies on the finish.”
Ciganda and Choi every shot 67, and Boutier had a 68, all enjoying the morning session.
“Coming right here the week earlier than a significant clearly offers you confidence for enjoying subsequent week,” Ciganda mentioned. “The course is one which I like. I take pleasure in coming right here, and it is at all times enjoyable enjoying in Grand Rapids.”
Thompson was joined at 7 below by Nanna Koerstz Madsen (68), Amanda Doherty (69), Bronte Legislation (69), Minjee Lee (70) and Sofia Garcia (71).
Grace Kim, additionally a part of the playoff final yr that Lilia Vu received, was 6 below after a 73. She bogeyed two of her final three holes to fall out of a tie for the lead.
Mi Hyang Lee, the first-round chief after a 64, had a 75 to drop to five below.
With the key days away at PGA Frisco, solely three of the highest 10 on the planet are at Blythefield. Haeran Ryu, at No. 5, the highest-ranked participant within the discipline, adopted a gap 69 with a 74 to make the lower on the quantity at 1 below.
Vu missed the lower with rounds of 77 and 75.
