Yun I-na opens 5-shot lead at KPMG Women's PGA despite two three-putts

Yun I-na reached the halfway point of the KPMG Women's PGA Championship — the LPGA Tour's third major of the season — with a five-shot lead at 12 under par.

Playing the second round Saturday at Hazeltine National Golf Club (par 72) in Chaska, Minnesota, Yun carded five birdies and two bogeys for a 3-under 69, moving to 12-under 132 for the tournament. She leads a group of five players tied for second at 7 under: Ryu Hae-ran, Kim A-lim, Brooke Henderson of Canada and Nasa Hataoka of Japan.

The result made Yun the fourth player in the tournament's history — dating to 1955 — to hold a lead of five strokes or more after 36 holes. The previous instances were Mickey Wright (eight shots ahead in 1958), Jeon In-ji (six shots in 2022) and Cristie Kerr (five shots in 2010).

Yun had entered the second round two shots clear of the field and pulled away further by making four birdies on the front nine to stretch her lead to seven. She gave back two shots, however, with three-putts for bogey at the par-4 10th and par-3 17th — both times after hitting the green in regulation — and heads into Moving Day with a five-shot cushion.

After finishing tied for fourth at the Chevron Championship, the season's first major, Yun missed the cut at the US Women's Open earlier this month. Speaking after her round, she said she was ready to embrace the pressure of the final two days. "Of course I'll be nervous over the remaining two rounds, but being nervous is human nature — I want to accept that and focus on the shots I can make," she said.

Ryu shot a bogey-free, 8-under 64 — the best round of the day — to reach 7-under 137 and join the tie for second. Kim A-lim, the 2020 US Women's Open champion, also moved into the group with a 2-under round featuring four birdies and a double bogey.

Henderson, who birdied each of her final three holes, said she was targeting the back half of the tournament. "We're halfway through. Yun had a great front half, so I'm hoping I can have a great back half and close the gap," she said. Henderson won this event in 2016 at age 18.

Nelly Korda of the United States, chasing three consecutive major titles for the first time since Park In-bee 13 years ago, shot a 4-under 68 to sit at 6-under 138, tied for sixth alongside rookie Lee Dong-eun.

Korda drew on her own experience of leading by a wide margin heading into a weekend, applying pressure on Yun, who has yet to win on the LPGA Tour. "It's tough to have a big lead going into the weekend rounds. That was the situation at the Chevron Championship, and knowing that everyone is chasing you adds to the pressure," she said.

Korda added that tougher conditions lie ahead. "The forecast calls for stronger winds this weekend. I'm sure the course will play a bit harder and the pin positions will be more demanding," she said. Yun pushed back. "I think I like this type of grass. The course has been easy to read. I really like it here," she said.