Lexi Thompson took the good with the bad — but will focus on the former — in shooting 72 on Friday at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.
The even-par round kept her at 4 under for the event and in position to end a five-year winless drought on the LPGA Tour. She is tied for third, alongside Jin Young Ko (68) and Hinako Shibuno (70), two back of co-leaders Sarah Schmelzel (67) and Amy Yang (68).
Thompson led after an opening 68 and extended her advantage with three birdies over her first eight holes in Round 2 at Sahalee Country Club in Sammamish, Washington.
Having started on the back nine, Thompson ran into trouble at the par-5 second, her 11th hole of the day. Her tee shot found the right rough and her second the left rough. She had to pitch out on her third and then finally hit the green – though, 43 feet from the hole.
Thompson three-putted from there for a 7. She dropped another shot at the fourth — where her tee shot hit trees and only traveled 143 yards — and traded a birdie at the sixth with a bogey at the eighth.
“It’s all about patience. Coming into each and every day out here you know you’re going to hit some bad shots that maybe get penalized by the trees and you have to take your medicine with either pitching out or just getting it back in position,” Thompson said.
“There will be bogeys but take advantage of a few birdie opportunities you get out there.”
Thompson is seeking her first tour title since June 2019 and her first major championship victory since 2014.
After announcing at the U.S. Women’s Open that she would no longer play full-time on tour, starting next year, Thompson nearly won last week’s Meijer LPGA Classic. She came inches from chipping in for victory on the 72nd hole, before falling to Lilia Vu in a three-way playoff that also included Grace Kim.
Thompson said it’s not a surprise that she finds herself playing well.
“I was hoping for it,” she said with a smile. “I had the few weeks off before Michigan (Meijer) and I worked extremely hard. I was out at the golf course in Florida summer for five to seven hours a day just trying to figure out something that just clicked.”
She said she “latched on to something with my game” last week and it’s continued to work through 36 holes in the Pacific Northwest.
And she won’t dwell on what didn’t work Friday afternoon.
“Made a double and bogey on the back but could have been worse, so I stayed positive and made a birdie on the back nine as well and made some good putts,” she said.
“Just going build on the positives and not really focus on anything else and take that into the weekend.”
