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Shibuno takes solo lead into weekend at 51st Chevron Championship

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April 1, 2022 10:28 PM
Published 6:35 PM

Two rounds of play are finished in Rancho Mirage at golf's first major and Japanese standout Hinako Shibuno leads the tournament after firing a 66 on Friday.

Shibuno leads by one at 9-under par for the tournament with a handful of strong players right behind her. Click here for the FULL LEADERBOARD of the Chevron Championship.

Stay with News Channel 3's Sports Director Blake Arthur and Bailey Arredondo for continuing coverage of the Chevron Championship.

CHAMPIONSHIP LEADERBOARD
 PlayerTo ParScore
1Hinako Shibuno-969-66—135
T2Annie Park-869-67—136
T2Patty Tavatanakit-867-69—136
T2Jennifer Kupcho-867-69—136

HINAKO SHIBUNO SHINES IN SECOND ROUND OF THE CHEVRON CHAMPIONSHIP

The Smiling Cinderella is in contention at yet another major championship. 2019 AIG Women’s Open champion Hinako Shibuno tied the week’s low round with a 6-under 66 to set alone at the top of The Chevron Championship leaderboard at -9. Shibuno, who is making her third appearance at Mission Hills Country Club, carded seven birdies and a bogey on the day, with five of her sub-par scores coming in her first nine holes.

“On No. 1 and 10 I had a tap-in birdie, and then that makes me easier to play golf,” said the six-time JLPGA Tour winner.

Shibuno is playing in her fourth event of the season and earned a top-eight finish at the Honda LPGA Thailand a few weeks ago. This is the second time she’s led a major through 36 holes, the last time being at the 2020 U.S. Women’s Open presented by ProMedica.

“My game, golf game is not a lot different than I won 2019 British Open, but my personality is not different at all,” said Shibuno, who is making her first start in a major championship as an LPGA Tour Member after qualifying through the 2021 LPGA Q-Series. “I'm swinging harder on the tee shot [at this course] and make more, you know, decent shot on the second shot. Yeah. The rough, it's a power from the rough.”

Chasing the Japanese superstar are 2021 U.S. Solheim Cup Team member Jennifer Kupcho, LPGA Tour winner Annie Park and defending champion Patty Tavatanakit, all tied for second one shot back at -8. Park’s 67 is her lowest 18 holes since the 2021 ShopRite LPGA Classic, her second event back after taking a two-month break from golf, while Kupcho netted her fifth bogey-free round of the season.

“It's just exciting to be here. This is our last time here, so it's just special to be here. And all the history that's been made here, really just go out and play my best,” said Kupcho. “I can't control what anybody else is doing. Just try and keep myself calm.”

Tavatanakit’s T2 position is the best 36-hole showing by a defending champion at the Chevron Championship since 2011 and she was one of only 10 people to birdie No. 17 on Friday in Rancho Mirage. “I was just taking it one shot at a time and it ended up being a great shot and a great putt on 17,” said Tavatanakit. “I think it kind of got my momentum going knowing 18 was an up tee, so I know I had a chance to get another birdie.”

Major champions Sei Young Kim and Hyo Joo Kim both recorded 5-under 67s to sit in a tie for fifth at -7. Recent Rolex First-Time Winner Nanna Koerstz Madsen and two-time Tour winner Ally Ewing are tied for seventh at -6, while seven players are tied for ninth at -5, including 2014 Chevron champion Lexi Thompson. Rolex Rankings No. 1 Jin Young Ko rebounded after a first-round 74 with a 4-under 68 and is currently T29.

“I practice yesterday a little bit for putting and this morning I practice little more than the other days. So I don't know what happened, but I'm happy with under 30 putts,” said Ko. The 2019 champion joins 74 others who made the cut at +1.

NANNA KOERSTZ MADSEN NOT SLOWING DOWN IN DESERT HEAT

The floodgates appear to have opened for Nanna Koerstz Madsen. The Dane won last month’s Honda LPGA Thailand in a playoff over Xiyu Lin and almost went back-to-back at last week’s JTBC Classic presented by Barbasol, ultimately falling to Thai rookie Atthaya Thitikul in another playoff. 

Through two days at Mission Hills, Koerstz Madsen sits in a tie for fifth at -6 and her 36-hole total of 138 is her second-lowest at The Chevron Championship. Over the course of her last 11 rounds, she’s carded 67 or better eight times and is -53 with a scoring average of 67.2, averaging five birdies or better per round. With those positives in her arsenal, she’s more than in form ahead of the weekend and while that final leap into Poppie’s Pond on Sunday looms large, Koerstz Madsen remains focused on keeping an even-tempered attitude, a strategy that’s served her well in 2022.

“I'm just staying patient and trusting my game,” said the 27-year-old, who made six birdies and one bogey on Friday. “I was very frustrated after my round yesterday. I didn't hit the ball good at all. I really fought around. Today was much better than yesterday. I hit more fairways today, which makes it a little easier on this course. There wasn't any specific strength today I would say. I did still hit some bad shots out there, but that's golf.”  

Last year at Mission Hills, Koerstz Madsen finished in a tie for third after firing a 6-under 66 in the final round, her career-best result in a major. A few months later at the AIG Women’s Open, Koerstz Madsen was co-leading on the final hole at Carnoustie and then made a tragic double bogey to finish T5, a frustrating scenario for any player, especially in a major. But it’s the lessons learned through failure that teach us the most and as she heads into the weekend in Rancho Mirage, Koerstz Madsen said she’ll recall upon those as she once again contends for a major title. 

“I do think being in contention at the British, I realized that you don't win with only hitting good shots,” she said. “You're going to hit some bad shots out there. I think from the British Open forward I just realized that there are going to be bad shots out there and you just got to accept that. I love this place. Finished third last year. It was very good. It was my best major result at that time; still is. Gives you a little confidence knowing you can play this course well.”

SEI YOUNG KIM, HYO-JOO KIM EACH LOOKING FOR SECOND MAJOR VICTORY
Korean countrywomen Sei Young Kim and Hyo-Joo Kim both started the 2022 Chevron Championship with matching rounds of 70 and 67, heading into the weekend in a tie for fifth at -7. The two are also both aiming to add a second major title to their resumes.

Hyo-Joo Kim captured the 2014 Amundi Evian Championship in her first major appearance, opening with a first-round 61 that set the mark for the lowest major round, male or female, in professional golf. Her opening nine holes included a streak of five birdies over the last six holes, a run that mimicked the “Happy Birdie Day” slogan printed on her polo shirt.

“Because I started off with so many birdies, I was just in a really good mood,” Hyo-Joo said. “In the back nine there was a mistake but overcame well and just overall I think I played a good round today.”

For Sei Young, her win at the 2020 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship came as her 11th LPGA Tour victory, at the time the most wins for an active player without a major title. She got off to a hot start on Friday, opening birdie-eagle and adding three more birdies to just one bogey.

“All my wins, my accomplishments, it's helped a lot for the, in this week, I think,” Sei Young. “But even that, I just try do my best. I don't think much about result. I just, every tee shot I relax, enjoying.”

Should Sei Young Kim or Hyo-Joo Kim take the title on Sunday, she would become the eighth player from the Republic of Korea with at least two major titles. Inbee Park has the most with seven, followed by Se Ri Pak (five), In Gee Chun (two), Jin Young Ko (two), Sung Hyun Park (two), So Yeon Ryu (two) and Jiyai Shin (two).

KPMG PERFORMANCE INSIGHTS SECOND-ROUND RECAP – THE CHEVRON CHAMPIONSHIP

This is the second time Hinako Shibuno has held the 36-hole lead in a major championship. Two years ago at the U.S. Women’s Open, Shibuno led in Texas at the halfway point, before finishing in fourth place:

Best 36-Hole Position Hinako Shibuno in Major Championship
 PositionFinish
2020 U.S. Women’s OpenLeader4th
2022 Chevron ChampionshipLeader?
2019 AIG Women’s Open2ndWon

Shibuno continued her elite approach play from 100 to 150 yards away in round 2. Since tracking began last season, Shibuno averages 5 feet closer than the LPGA average on approaches from 100-125 yards away – and nearly 5 feet closer, as well, from 125-150 out.

Hinako Shibuno Average Proximity to the Hole
 100-125 Yards125-150 Yards
Shibuno – Today14’3”14’0”
Shibuno – Last 2 Seasons16’621’5”
LPGA Average21’6”26’3”

Patty Tavatanakit is tied for second, the best 36-hole position by a defending champion in this event since Yani Tseng was in the same spot 11 years ago.

Best 36-Hole Position by Defending Champion Chevron Championship since 2010
   Finish
2011Yani TsengT22nd
2022Patty TavatanakitT2?
2021Mirim LeeT6T10
2015Lexi ThompsonT67th

For more from KPMG Performance Insights, click here: https://lpga.box.com/s/a3trqatrsmrpdc206o9h9hdxqv1bi2bu

PLAYER NOTES

Rolex Rankings No. 49 Hinako Shibuno (1, 69-66)

  • She hit 11 of 14 fairways and 15 of 18 greens, with 27 putts
  • Her 135 ties her career-low 36-hole score on the LPGA Tour; she last recorded the number at the 2022 Honda LPGA Thailand, and has also recorded it in two other major championships: the 2020 U.S. Women’s Open presented by ProMedica and in her win at the 2019 AIG Women’s Open
  • This is Shibuno’s third appearance at The Chevron Championship; she finished in a tie for 51st in 2020 and missed the cut in 2021
  • She is a 2022 Tour rookie; she won the 2019 AIG Women’s Open, her first and only victory on Tour, but did not accept Membership
  • Her AIG Women’s Open win made her the second Japanese player to win a women’s major championship after Hisako Higuchi (1977 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship) as well as the second player this decade to win in her major debut after Hyo Joo Kim (2014 Amundi Evian Championship)
  • Shibuno finished in a tie for 20th at the 2021 LPGA Q-Series to first earn LPGA Tour status
  • This is her fourth event in 2022; her season-best result is a tie for eighth at the Honda LPGA Thailand
  • Shibuno is a six-time winner on the JLPGA Tour; she won four times in 2019 and twice in 2021, most recently in October at the Mitsubishi Electric/Hisako Higuchi Ladies Golf Tournament
  • In 2019, she earned JLPGA Player of the Year honors
  • Shibuno turned professional in 2018
  • Her nickname is the “Smiling Cinderella”

Rolex Rankings No. 184 Annie Park (T2, 69-67)

  • She hit 10 of 14 fairways and 14 of 18 greens, with 26 putts
  • Park’s 135 is one off her career-best 36-hole score; it is now her career-best 36-hole score in a major championship
  • This is her sixth start in The Chevron Championship; her career-best finish in the major is a tie for 56th
  • This is Park’s seventh season on Tour; her career-best result is a victory at the 2018 ShopRite LPGA Classic
  • This is her fourth event of 2022; her season-best result is a tie for 23rd at the JTBC Classic presented by Barbasol
  • Park was the last entrant to be exempt in this year’s Chevron Championship based on her finish at the JTBC Classic; She parred the 72nd hole to move her up to 80th on the Race to the CME Points List and into the championship
  • She was a member of the 2019 U.S. Solheim Cup Team, posting a 1-2-0 record
  • In 2015, she finished first on the Epson Tour’s Race for the Card to first earn LPGA Tour Membership; she won three times that season in 11 starts, while also earning Player of the Year and Gaelee Truet Rookie of the Year honors
  • Park played collegiate golf at the University of Southern California; As a freshman, Park led USC to its third NCAA team title while winning four individual events, including the 2013 NCAA Women's Golf individual title

Rolex Rankings No. 14 Patty Tavatanakit (T2, 67-69)

  • She hit 10 of 14 fairways and 14 of 18 greens, with 29 putts
  • This is Tavatanakit’s fourth appearance at The Chevron Championship; she won in 2021
  • Represented Thailand at the 2020 Olympics, finishing T23
  • Finished second on the Epson Tour’s 2019 Race for the Card, earning three victories, to first earn LPGA Tour status
  • 2021 Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year and Rolex ANNIKA Major Award winner
  • 2019 Gaelle Truet Rookie of the Year on the Epson Tour
  • Played collegiately at UCLA, where she was a seven-time winner and two-time WGCA First-Team All American

Rolex Rankings No. 53 Jennifer Kupcho (T2, 66-70)

  • She hit 11 of 14 fairways and 15 of 18 greens, with 31 putts
  • This is Kupcho’s second appearance at The Chevron Championship; she tied for 22nd in 2020 and tied for 60th in 2021
  • Member of Team USA at the 2021 Solheim Cup
  • Finished T39 at the 2011 LPGA Final Qualifying Tournament to first earn LPGA Tour status
  • Won the inaugural Augusta National Women’s Amateur in 2019
  • Graduated from Wake Forest University in 2019 with a degree in Communications
  • 2018 NCAA Division I Individual National Champion, and was the first wire-to-wire NCAA champion since 2002
  • 2018 NCAA Player of the Year
  • Won the inaugural 2019 Augusta National Women’s Amateur
  • Played on the victorious 2018 U.S. Curtis Cup, Women’s World Amateur and Palmer Cup teams
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