NW Arkansas 2021 R2
September 24-26
Pinnacle Country Club, Rogers, Arkansas
$2,300,000
Round 1, Round 3

Estimated reading time: 7 minutes

Minjee Lee of Australia and Japan's Nasa Hataoka are tied at the top the leaderboard at 12-under at Pinnacle Country Club. Lee, the only player to remain bogey-free through the first 36 holes, carded her career-low score with a second-round 63, firing seven birdies in her first 10 holes.

NW Arkansas 2021 R2

“I was seeing really good lines, like the breaks on those putts, so I could really trust that I had the right line to have the right speed,” said Lee. “I was just stroking it nice and it was really nice to see it go in. Just trying to ride momentum.

“It's pretty soft so you can be pretty aggressive at the pins. As long as your putter is hot, I think you're going to have a chance.”

With a win on Sunday Lee would be the first Australian since Hannah Green in 2019 to have a multiple-win season.

NW Arkansas 2021 R2

Hataoka became the fifth player in Tour history to make two holes-in-one in a single event on Saturday with aces at the par-3s 6th and 11th.

NW Arkansas 2021 R2

South Korea's Eun-Hee Ji sits in solo third place at 11-under after a second-round 68.

“I been hitting really well with my irons and driver, so that's why I think I hit it pretty well; easy to make some birdie out there,” said Ji. “Putted pretty well on first round, but today it was pretty well on first half, but I didn't make a lot of birdie on back nine. Little bit of struggle with the putting on the back nine, but sometimes doing that.”

NW Arkansas 2021 R2

Fellow South Korean Jeongeun Lee6 and Thailand's Ariya Jutanugarn are tied in fourth place at 10-under. Lee6's 8-under was her lowest 18 holes scores since a second-round 61 at the Amun di Evian Championship in July.

Jutanugarn produced two eagles at the par-5s 7th and 18th, two birdies and a single bogey for a 66.

"When I got to this week, I have no expectation at all because how I play last week,” said Jutanugarn, who missed the cut at the Cambia Portland Classic. “I feel I just want to make sure I have feeling like better with my 3-wood, with my irons, and everything. So when you have no expectation, it's kind of you go out and have so much fun, play with your partner and with your caddie. Just go out and have fun.”

Jennifer Kupcho, Sarah Burnham and Pajaree Anannarukarn are tied for sixth at 9-under. Ten players, including Rolex Rankings No. 2 Jin Young Ko and defending champion Austin Ernst sit in a tie for ninth at 8-under.

NW Arkansas 2021 R2