Jin Hee Im from South Korea and Thailand’s Atthaya Thitikul share the halfway lead at 8-under at The Chevron Championship after both shot 69-67 through the first two days in Texas.
Heading into the second round, the two were tied in fifth place and three strokes out of Lauren Coughlin’s first-round lead before a bogey-free day from Im and a six-birdie, one-bogey round for Thitikul placed them on top of the leaderboard heading into Moving Day.
Im is making her first-ever start in a major championship this week in The Woodlands and is now holding her first-ever lead or co-lead on the LPGA Tour. The 25-year-old earned Tour status for the 2024 season after finishing T17 at LPGA Q-Series in December. But even though she is a rookie, the Korean player has plenty of experience winning professional golf tournaments. Im is a six-time winner on the KLPGA Tour, earning four of those wins just last season.
“Everything was good last year (on the KLPGA), and I know the courses prety well. I played there five years,” said Im on her success in 2023. When asked why she chose to enter Q-Series to test her skill on the LPGA Tour, she said, “In KLPGA they retire a litle bit earlier than –the players, they retire a litle bit earlier than the LPGA, so I tried to play more in here. I want the challenge (of) more big tour. That’s why I tried LPGA.”
Thitikul is making her first appearance of the season at The Chevron Championship, having recently recovered from a thumb injury that began a few weeks after the 2023 CME Group Tour Championship and was resolved just three weeks ago, according to Thitikul. Leaning on good memories from her T4 finish in last year’s playing of the major, Thitikul made up for lost time and made sure to appreciate the opportunity to compete on Tour.
“I think the rest now like is just a bonus for me. I mean, coming here this week I think making the cut is — it’s good enough because, you know, I wasn’t be out here for so long,” she said. “Starting my season with major week is — it’s not that easy, so I think from now on it’s just a bonus for me. Just go out there, staying positive, and then also being out there smiling and then just do my best.”
Four-time 2024 Tour winner Nelly Korda sits one stroke back at 7-under. She shot a second-round 69 on Friday and is one of just three players to post two rounds in 60s this week, along with the leaders.
Korda is coming off her third-straight LPGA Tour victory and fourth in consecutive starts on Tour. With a win this week, she would tie Annika Sörenstam’s and Nancy Lopez’s record for most wins in consecutive starts on the LPGA Tour. Although she is looking to add her name into the history books, Korda recognized there’s still a lot of golf left to play.
“I’m just at the halfway point right now. The amount of golf that I’ve played, I still have that to go,” said Korda when asked how she is handling the pressure of her historic run. “There is still a lot of golf left and anything can happen. Just going to stick to my process and ‘vibe with it,’ is what my coach says.”
Related: Four-way tie for lead in South Carolina
Last season’s Rolex Rookie of the Year, Hae Ran Ryu, sits in solo fourth at 6-under. First-round leader Lauren Coughlin couldn’t find her opening-round rhythm but remains in the top-5 after firing a 1-over 73 on Friday. She shares the T5 spot with Sweden’s Maja Stark, Japan’s Minami Katsu, Korea’s Shinsil Bang, and Weiwei Zhang of the Republic of China.
Sponsor exemption and the 2024 Augusta National Women’s Open champion Lottie Woad sits in a tie for 10th with seven other players at 4-under.
