LPGA Match-Play 2021 2
May 26-30
Shadow Creek, Las Vegas, Nevada
$1,500,000
Day 1, Day 3, Day 4, Day 5
.@daniellekang making it look easy 👌
— LPGA (@LPGA) May 28, 2021
She heads into day three 2-0-0.
Watch the @LPGAMatchPlay now on @GolfChannel! pic.twitter.com/3xoLKr9toV
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
Friends Danielle Kang and Lizette Salas will face off on Friday for a berth in the Round of 16 at the Bank of Hope LPGA Match-Play Hosted by Shadow Creek.
LPGA Match-Play 2021 2
Kang never trailed en route to a 2-and-1 victory over Madelene Sagstrom, a hard-fought win that saw Kang lose a 3-up lead through 13 holes. Sagstrom birdied the 14th and 16th to pull within one, but Kang finished with par on the difficult par-3 17th to win the match.
“I think we were trying to minimize as much mistakes as possible. We were making a lot of mistakes out there from beginning to end,” said Kang. “She made some good birdies coming in and all I kind of tried to do was keep it steady as much as I can, but there was just so many bogeys out there for us and so many mistakes.”
Another one 👏@LizetteSalas5 wins her second match of the week, taking down @AlbaneGolf 3&2 pic.twitter.com/qOMFjXZhyP
— LPGA (@LPGA) May 27, 2021
LPGA Match-Play 2021 2
Salas only dropped one hole in her 3-and-2 win over Albane Valenzuela, turning on the jets on the back nine. Sitting tied through 12 holes, Salas reeled off three consecutive wins at 13, 14 and 15 to go 3 up, including a near ace at the 14th.
“I didn’t capitalize on some of the opportunities to go up in the match. I knew the backside is a little tougher, so I had to rely on my accuracy and know that – and my experience as well – that I could pull off some wins and win the match overall,” said Salas. “Capitalized on a couple of her mistakes, but she played solid all day and kept me on my toes.”
LPGA Match-Play 2021 2
Kang and Salas are well-acquainted with each other’s games, both as Solheim Cup teammates and partners at the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational. While they will be foes on Friday, the best-friend duo plans to spend Thursday night together catching up on some must-watch TV – the new Friends reunion special – at Kang’s Las Vegas home.
Jin Young Ko survived an 18-hole showdown with Caroline Masson, losing a 3-up lead through 15 holes and ultimately winning a 1-up match with a birdie at the 18th. Bronte Law followed in the match-play footsteps of Sergio Garcia, making an ace at the 17th to take a 2-and-1 win over Austin Ernst.
Three Friday matches are winner-take-all – Kang vs. Salas, Moriya Jutanugarn vs. Minjee Lee; and Stacy Lewis vs. Patty Tavatanakit.
LPGA Match-Play 2021 2
Match | Group | Seed | Players | Results | Seed | Players | ||
No | No | No | ||||||
Match 33 | 12 | 12 | Austin Ernst | 2&1 | > | 44 | Bronte Law | |
Match 34 | 12 | 21 | Amy Olson | < | 3&2 | 53 | Annie Park | |
Match 35 | 5 | 3 | Danielle Kang | < | 2&1 | 37 | Madelene Sagstrom | |
Match 36 | 5 | 28 | Lizette Salas | < | 3&2 | 60 | Albane Valenzuela | |
Match 37 | 13 | 13 | Jennifer Kupcho | TIED | 45 | Leona Maguire | ||
Match 38 | 13 | 20 | Ally Ewing | < | 2&1 | 52 | Christina Kim | |
Match 39 | 4 | 4 | Brooke M. Henderson | 1UP | > | 36 | Ashleigh Buhai | |
Match 40 | 4 | 29 | Angela Stanford | 1UP | > | 61 | Jenny Coleman | |
Match 41 | 10 | 10 | Nasa Hataoka | < | 6&4 | 42 | Jasmine Suwannapura | |
Match 42 | 10 | 23 | Mi Jung Hur | TIED | 55 | Jing Yan | ||
Match 43 | 7 | 7 | Patty Tavatanakit | < | 2&1 | 39 | Mi Hyang Lee | |
Match 44 | 7 | 26 | Stacy Lewis | TIED | 58 | Sarah Kemp | ||
Match 45 | 15 | 15 | Sophia Popov | < | 5&4 | 47 | Su Oh | |
Match 46 | 15 | 18 | Sung Hyun Park | 1UP | > | 50 | Hee Young Park | |
Match 47 | 2 | 2 | Inbee Park | < | 5&3 | 34 | Celine Boutier | |
Match 48 | 2 | 31 | Gaby Lopez | < | 4&2 | 63 | Jennifer Chang | |
Match 49 | 11 | 11 | So Yeon Ryu | < | 4&3 | 42 | Eun-Hee Ji | |
Match 50 | 11 | 22 | Mirim Lee | TIED | 54 | Ryann O’Toole | ||
Match 51 | 6 | 6 | Hyo Joo Kim | 2&1 | > | 38 | Jenny Shin | |
Match 52 | 6 | 27 | Megan Khang | 1UP | > | 59 | Alison Lee | |
Match 53 | 14 | 14 | Jeongeun Lee6 | < | 5&3 | 46 | Brittany Lincicome | |
Match 54 | 14 | 19 | Shanshan Feng | < | 1UP | 51 | Pajaree Anannarukarn | |
Match 55 | 3 | 3 | Sei Young Kim | TIED | 35 | Yu Liu | ||
Match 56 | 3 | 30 | Brittany Altomare | < | 1UP | 62 | Ayako Uehara | |
Match 57 | 9 | 9 | Hannah Green | < | 1UP | 41 | Azahara Munoz | |
Match 58 | 9 | 24 | Mel Reid | < | 3&2 | 56 | Gerina Piller | |
Match 59 | 8 | 8 | Minjee Lee | < | 4&3 | 40 | Cheyenne Knight | |
Match 60 | 8 | 25 | Moriya Jutanugarn | < | 6&5 | 57 | Jaye Marie Green | |
Match 61 | 16 | 16 | Ariya Jutanugarn | < | 4&3 | 48 | Sarah Schmelzel | |
Match 62 | 16 | 17 | Carlota Ciganda | 3&2 | > | 49 | Lauren Stephenson | |
Match 63 | 1 | 1 | Jin Young Ko | < | 1UP | 33 | Caroline Masson | |
Match 64 | 1 | 32 | Anna Nordqvist | < | 5&4 | 64 | Natalie Gulbis |