CPKC Ladies's Open: Olympic golf is true across the nook however first issues first in Canada, the place there's been a Lydia Ko sighting

The Opening Ceremony at the 2024 Olympics in Paris dazzled on Friday however among the golfers heading to the Video games have some enterprise to care for first in Canada.

There are 23 Olympic golfers in all competing this week at Earl Gray Golf Membership in Calgary.

That features Hannah Inexperienced, who’s set to represent Australia alongside Minjee Lee. Inexperienced vaulted up the leaderboard Friday to take the clubhouse lead after the morning wave on the 2024 CPKC Women’s Open. The lead flipped within the afternoon spherical when Lauren Coughlin posted a 70 to get to six beneath and preserve her solo lead by way of 36 holes.

The highest of the leaderboard options a number of outstanding names, together with Lydia Ko, whose season began scorching however has featured a number of cool weeks since. With yet another win, Ko turns into a Corridor of Famer and she or he heads to the weekend three pictures off the lead.

Here is a better have a look at some issues you must know in regards to the lone LPGA occasion north of the border.

Coughlin preserving it going

First-round chief Lauren Coughlin is now the second-round chief.

Coughlin backed up her Thursday 68 with a Friday 70 to maintain tempo as she seeks her first LPGA win. She opened her second spherical with three birdies on her first 5 holes. She then stalled a bit, carding 5 straight pars earlier than making bogey on 11. She closed with seven straight pars as she battled the course and the situations.

“It was clearly very windy on the market, quite a lot of crosswinds, which they could be a hair hurting, a hair serving to relying on what quarter you are getting,” she stated. “Additionally with the elevation and the way far the ball goes, it was actually onerous to evaluate how far the ball was going to finish up going. I felt like I used to be hitting pictures actually good and the way I needed to, and they might simply go.

“Like on 11, like I nonetheless do not understand how that 54 went that far. Ought to have been useless nuts into the wind and it simply wasn’t. It went additional than regular truly. So identical to little issues like that.”

Coughlin fell wanting the U.S. Olympic squad however is in nice form to make the U.S. Solheim Cup staff in September.

Inexperienced seeks third title in 2024

Hannah Inexperienced is in search of her third LPGA win in 2024 in a 3rd totally different nation. She gained the HSBC Ladies’s World Championship in Singapore in February after which in Los Angeles in April on the JM Eagle LA Open at Wilshire Nation Membership. Inexperienced is the one LPGA golfer apart from Nelly Korda, who has six, to have a couple of win in 2024.

Inexperienced hasn’t had the strongest season when it comes to success on the majors — her tie for sixteenth on the U.S. Ladies’s Open being her finest outing — however a 3rd win could be an enormous enhance earlier than she heads to Paris for the Summer time Video games.

“I suppose most of us are just about treating it as our sixth main championship this yr,” she stated. “I get in on the Saturday. We have now a Wednesday begin for the ladies, so I am not getting in tremendous early as a result of I did not wish to over-prepare and really feel mentally that I am already a bit drained all through the week.

“So, yeah, getting in Saturday. Going to look at the lads over the weekend after which clearly prepare. However I’ve not been to the Golf Nationwide earlier than. I did not go there earlier than Evian to go and play the course. I’ve seen a little bit bit on TV. I in all probability will try to watch some replays and see as a lot stuff as I can on-line.

“Yeah, simply do not wish to put an excessive amount of stress on myself. There are 60 ladies and we’re all making an attempt to get a podium end I’d say, not solely only a gold medal. A prime three could be wonderful for ourselves and international locations.”

Ko returns to acquainted spot: contending

It has been a minute however Lydia Ko is within the hunt on the LPGA once more. She opened the season with a win and a second however hasn’t posted a top-10 end since early March. Her final 5 outings: T-39, T-27, T-46, MC, MC.

Needing only one extra level to attain entry within the LPGA Corridor of Fame, perhaps that is the week Ko punches by way of.

“Some individuals have reached out and are like, ‘Oh, it will occur. You are so shut.’ I used to be like ‘Oh, I am not as pressured as I believe persons are pondering,'” she stated after he spherical.

“Being one level away is a lot simpler than being two. I do know if you’re two factors away, oh, I nonetheless need to have two wins.

“I really feel like if it is truthfully meant to be for me to be within the Corridor of Fame and be a Corridor of Famer, it is in all probability going to occur so I am simply making an attempt to play the most effective golf I can. Previously couple months I have never performed the most effective golf, so it is not like I am taking part in with quite a lot of expectation making an attempt to win I suppose as a result of I have never been in competition as a lot.”

And no time like the current to see issues flip round a bit.

“Clearly it is a actually good time for it to occur, at a match meaning rather a lot to me with the Olympics and British Open and all that arising.”

Ko shot a 1-under 71 and is at 3 beneath general, three again of the lead and tied with Jennifer Kupcho and Lilia Vu.

2 of three American Olympians are in prime 7

The American Olympic contingent consists of Nelly Korda, Lilia Vu and Rose Zhang. Vu and Zhang are competing in Calgary this week they usually’re each contending.

Zhang shot a second straight 71 and is 2 beneath general, tied for seventh, 4 pictures again.

Vu, in the meantime, was within the afternoon wave and shot a 2-under 70 to get right into a tie for fourth.

Zhang and Vu every have an LPGA win this season and they might little doubt like so as to add a second earlier than heading to Le Golf Nationwide in Paris with a shot a profitable a medal.

Korda, taking this week off, is the defending gold medalist.

Heading house early

Every week after tying for seventh, Stacy Lewis missed the reduce by a shot, which got here in at 4 over. She’s amongst a fairly brief listing of notable names who did not make the weekend. That listing consists of Gabi Ruffels (5 over) and Danielle Kang (6 over).

This text initially appeared on Golfweek: CPKC Women’s Open: Olympic golf is right around the corner but first things first in Canada, where there’s been a Lydia Ko sighting