Ina Yoon extended her lead to five strokes after shooting a 3-under 69 in the second round of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship on Friday at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minnesota. The 23-year-old South Korean began the day with a two-shot advantage over Australia’s Karis Davidson but widened the gap as Davidson carded a 74 and others in the top 10 faltered.
Yoon’s total of 12-under 132 after two rounds puts her well clear of the field at the halfway point. Despite a back nine played in one over par, Yoon built an early momentum with birdies on holes 3, 4, 6, and 8, establishing a strong position heading into the weekend. This marks Yoon’s first time leading a major going into the final rounds since joining the LPGA Tour last year. “It’s actually really nice experience for me. I’m so excited to play last two more days,” she said.
Fellow South Korean Haeran Ryu produced the round of the day, an 8-under 64, shooting eight birdies in an 11-hole stretch without a bogey. Ryu’s performance vaulted her into a tie for second place at 7 under alongside Canada’s Brooke M. Henderson, A Lim Kim of South Korea, and Japan’s Nasa Hataoka. Ryu credited her improved putting to switching back to a putter she used successfully at a recent event. “Today I used same putter as Kroger Championship a month ago, so I felt it’s so great and I can make a lot of birdies today,” she said.
Henderson, a two-time major champion, closed her round with three consecutive birdies to join the group at 7 under. The Canadian, who has won just once since January 2023, expressed optimism about her position. “It’s fun to see my name on the leaderboard again and so hopefully have a good weekend,” Henderson said.
World No. 1 Nelly Korda, who is in pursuit of becoming the third woman to win the first three majors of the season after victories at the Chevron Championship and the U.S. Women’s Open, stands one stroke behind the group at 6 under at the halfway mark. Korda shot 68, recovering from a bogey on the first hole to post four birdies on the back nine. “The front nine was great, shot 4 under, and then had a case of the hooks on a few of my tee shots on the back nine... pleased with my day,” she noted.
The cut line was set at 1 over par, with defending champion Minjee Lee, England’s Charley Hull, and Australian Hannah Green—who won the event in 2019 when it was last held at Hazeltine—all missing the cut by a single stroke. As the weekend approaches, Yoon’s significant lead and strong performance set the stage for what could be a breakthrough victory in her young LPGA career.