Grace Kim had a hole-in-one and combined with Auston Kim for eight birdies for a nine-under 61 and that earns them a five-way share of the lead in the Dow Championship.
The best score of the second round actually belonged to the Danish pair Nicole Broch Estrup and Nanna Koertz Madsen, who birdied their last two holes for a 10-under-par 60.
Ally Ewing and Jennifer Kupcho of the United States had a 64, the same score they had in foursomes during the opening round, to also sit in among the bunched leaders at 12 under, along with the Thailand tandem of Jaravee Boonchant and Chanettee Wannasaen and Taiwan duo of Ssu-chia Cheng and Wei-Ling Hsu.
Three other teams, including England’s Charley Hull and Georgia Hall, are one shot behind. Lexi Thompson and Brooke Henderson are two shots back at 10 under.
Grace Kim said of her ace at the par-three seventh hole: “I’ve had a lot of close shaves, and this is actually my first one, so it’s very exciting.
“I was obviously just trying to put it close. All I see is it kind of disappear.”
Grace and Austin Kim birdied their next hole, and then had five more on the back nine.
“A lot of good came from that hole, courtesy of Grace,” Auston said. “It felt really positive going forward from there.”
Watch coverage from day three of the Dow Championship, live on Sky Sports Golf from 11pm on Saturday.
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Scottie Scheffler returned to winning ways and registered a sixth PGA Tour victory in 10 starts after beating Tom Kim in a dramatic finish at the Travelers Championship.
The world No 1, heading into the final round a shot behind at TPC River Highlands, carded five birdies in a bogey-free 65 to finish on 22 under alongside overnight leader and playing partner Tom Kim.
Kim holed a 10-foot birdie on his final hole to force the play-off, after play was briefly halted when multiple protesters ran onto the 18th green and put coloured powder on the putting surface before being removed by police.
Image: Scottie Scheffler is now a six-time winner on the PGA Tour this season
The green was cleared ahead of the play-off, where Kim was unable to get up and down from the sand and Scheffler made a winning par to become the first player since Arnold Palmer in 1962 to win six times before July on the PGA Tour.
Victory follows wins at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, The Players, The Masters, RBC Heritage and Memorial Tournament already this season, with his latest success extending his advantage at the top of both the world rankings and the FedExCup standings.
Image: Scottie Scheffler and Tom Kim played in the final group on Sunday alongside Akshay Bhatia
How Scheffler won another Signature Event
Scheffler opened with five straight pars before taking advantage of the par-five sixth and rolling in from 15 feet at the next, then responded to a missed opportunity at the 12th by two-putting from 12 feet to birdie the par-five next.
The two-time major winner fired his approach close at the 14th and added another birdie after driving the green at the par-four 15th, where Kim also picked up a shot to stay within one.
Image: Tom Kim was challenging for a fourth PGA Tour victory and first of the campaign
Kim – who started the day one ahead – had lost his overnight advantage when he reached the turn in level par, only to make three birdies in a six-hole stretch on his back nine to get to 21 under.
Both players failed to convert outside birdie opportunities on the next two holes to keep Scheffler one ahead heading into the par-four last, where Kim almost holed his approach shot to leave him 10 feet from the flag.
Image: The final group were briefly paused on the 18th green for the protesters to be removed by police
Scheffler’s second shot just cleared the greenside bunker and finished on the fringe, before play was briefly disrupted when multiple protesters ran onto the green and powder was thrown on the putting surface.
The protesters were quickly removed and the green cleared of debris, with Scheffler’s outside birdie try stopping on the right edge before Kim poured in his effort to take the contest to a play-off.
Scottie Scheffler brings his baby Bennett to the winner’s interview after claiming the 2024 Travelers Championship after a play-off
Kim saw his approach plug in a bunker and left him unable to save par, as Scheffler missed his birdie effort but tapped in for victory – the 12th of his PGA Tour career and fourth in a Signature Event this season.
“It has been a great season,” Scheffler said. “I’ve been fortunate to come away with some wins and it has been a lot of fun. Tom played his heart out today. He’s a great player, great champion and it was fun battling with him today.”
Asked about the protests on the 18th green, Scheffler added: “Fortunately for Tom and me we’re great friends so we were able to kind of relax each other. You don’t really understand the situation, there’s people running around everywhere and you don’t really know what’s going to happen so it’s a bit confusing.”
Tom Hoge carded a final-round 62 to jump into tied-third with Sungjae Im, while Patrick Cantlay shared fifth spot with Tony Finau, Justin Thomas and Akshay Bhatia.
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Cameron Young, who carded just the 13th sub-60 round in PGA Tour history during the third round, opened with four straight birdies and carded a four-under 66 to finish tied-ninth with Shane Lowry, Wyndham Clark and Brian Harman.
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The PGA Tour heads to Michigan next for the Rocket Mortgage Classic, where Rickie Fowler returns as defending champion at Detroit Golf Club. Early coverage begins on Thursday from 5pm on Sky Sports Golf ahead of full coverage from 8pm. Stream the PGA Tour and more, without a contract, with NOW.
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American Cameron Young holed a 10-foot putt for a 59 as South Korea’s Tom Kim held onto a narrow lead after the third day of the Travelers Championship.
Young made two eagles and seven birdies at the TPC River Highlands course for the first sub-60 score in nearly four years on the PGA Tour and the 13th in history.
Having moved within five shots of Kim’s lead, Young said his preparation had done little to suggest such a score was on its way.
“Didn’t feel particularly awesome,” he said. “I chunked a few less on the range than I did yesterday. Then, yeah, came out and just was very comfortable and things just started coming down close to the hole.”
Kim carded a second straight 65 to sit at 18 under par with world number one Scottie Scheffler and Akshay Bhatia just a shot behind.
Image: Scottie Scheffler reacts after missing a putt on the seventh green during the third round of the Travelers Championship
“It’s a stacked leaderboard,” said Kim, a day after his 22nd birthday. “Out here, a five, six-shot lead is not safe at all. So I’ve got to go out tomorrow and do the same game plan and execute.”
Xander Schauffele hit a 64 and Sungjae Im a 63 to be two shots from the lead heading into the final day, with Ireland’s Shane Lowry four adrift after a third-round 65.
Two people treated in hospital after lightning strike
Play was again delayed for nearly three hours due to what the PGA Tour called a “dangerous weather situation”.
Two people were taken to the hospital Saturday after lightning struck a tree near the course hosting the Travelers Championship.
The home is just north of the fifth green at TPC River Highlands, with Cromwell Police receiving 911 calls around 4.30pm about a lightning strike. When first responders arrived, they found a tree that had been hit and three people who were near it.
Cromwell Fire Department Chief Jason Brade said in a statement that an emergency medical crew treated two people and took them to the hospital for further evaluation. He did not elaborate on their condition. A third person refused treatment.
Lightning is an ever-present danger on golf courses. In 2019, six people were injured when a strike hit a 60-foot (18-meter) pine tree at the Tour Championship.
Who will win the Travelers Championship? Watch the final round live on Sunday on Sky Sports Golf. Early coverage begins via the red button from 12.30pm, before moving to Sky Sports Golf from 4.30pm. Stream the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, LPGA Tour and more, without a contract, with NOW.
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Lilia Vu claimed her first LPGA Tour victory of the season after defeating Lexi Thompson and Grace Kim in a play-off at the Meijer LPGA Classic.
Vu overturned an eight-shot deficit during a thrilling final day at Blythefield Country Club, carding a bogey-free 65 to finish on 16 under alongside Kim – who squandered a five-shot overnight lead – and Thompson.
The trio all birdied the par-five 18th in both the first two extra play-off holes, before Vu carded a winning birdie at the third extra play-off hole – as Thompson and Kim could only make par – to claim her fifth LPGA Tour title and first of the year.
Image: Lexi Thompson congratulated Lilia Vu after her play-off victory
“I just couldn’t believe it,” Vu said. “I couldn’t believe I won this week. I think I was setting my bar really low so that I could meet it. I think because I tend to get in my own way when I’m trying to win, that’s when I don’t win most of the time, so just trying to stay in my lane, take advantage of all the good shots, and make all the birdie putts that I get.”
Vu’s comeback was one shot larger than last week’s seven-shot deficit overturned by Linnea Strom of Sweden at the ShopRite LPGA Classic, with four birdies over the final six holes helping her post the low round of the day.
Thompson birdied the 18th to card a four-under 68 and tie Vu, while Kim made one birdie and eight pars during the back nine of her final-round 73 and failed to hold on to her sizeable overnight advantage.
Vu won four times in 2023 and will be among the favourites for the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, live on Sky Sports, having missed last month’s US Women’s Open while fighting a back injury.
Highlights from the final round of the 2023 AIG Women’s Open at Walton Heath, where Lilia Vu claimed her second major title of the season.
“It’s hard to feel 100 per cent, but I think I’ve been 95 per cent and I think, obviously, I played more than 18 holes today, so kind of feeling a little tight,” Vu said. “It’s all good. It’s not the same as before.”
Thompson, the 11-time LPGA Tour winner who announced last month that she will retire from full-time competition at the end of the season, came up just short of ending her five-year title drought.
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Thursday 20th June 11:00pm
“Knowing I was five shots behind starting the day, I knew I had to have the pedal down and make a lot of birdies from the jump,” Thompson said. “I can only control what I can control, so I just tried to focus one shot at a time and play within myself and my emotions. That’s all I could do. Whatever happens with the result happened, so happy with the result.”
Ally Ewing had a string of four straight birdies on her front nine and briefly touched 17 under for the tournament, but a bogey-bogey-birdie finish left her in fourth spot. Allisen Corpuz and South Korea’s Narin An both carded final-round 70s to share fifth.
What’s next?
The women’s major season continues at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, held at Sahalee Country Club in Washington and all four rounds live on Sky Sports. Live coverage begins on Thursday from 9pm via the red button and 11pm on Sky Sports Golf. Stream the LPGA, majors and more with NOW.
Grace Kim broke away on Saturday at Blythefield Country Club, birdieing four of the final six holes to take a five-stroke lead into the final round of the Meijer LPGA Classic.
Tied for the second-round lead with Ally Ewing, Kim shot a six-under 66 to get to 17 under. The 23-year-old Australian won in a play-off last year in Hawaii for her lone LPGA Tour title. She lost a large lead in April in Los Angeles at the JM Eagle LA Championship.
“Giving myself another chance to do it again and actually get it done,” Kim said. “I know I’m going to try my best for tomorrow and everyone else will. This golf course calls for lot of birdies and there are a lot of good players out here. “
Ewing followed her second-round 63 with a 71 to drop into a tie for second with Lexi Thompson, Anna Nordqvist, Allisen Corpuz and Narin An.
“It was a little bit of a scramble today,” Ewing said. “I made some really good putts to just kind of hang in early.”
Thompson, the 2015 winner who has said this will be her last year playing a full schedule, played the final six holes on the front nine in seven under in a 65. She has gone more than five years without winning.
“Just kind of got into a groove,” Thompson said. “This is a golf course [where] you have to come out and play aggressive and make lots of birdies. Just came out feeling very comfortable, made a few good swings, and rolled in some putts.”
Nordqvist also shot 65. Corpuz had a 68, and An shot 69.
Kim had three straight birdies on the front nine on holes five to seven, dropped a stroke on the par-five 10th, then made the late charge with birdies on on the par-three 13th, par-five 14th, par-four 16th and par-five 18th.
“I finished pretty strong so hopefully I can just keep that going,” Kim said. “Have a good night meal. Watched a movie yesterday. That’s probably helped a little bit as well. Maybe do that again tonight and see. Fresh for tomorrow.”
Lilia Vu, a former No 1 player and double major winner last year, was tied for 14th at nine under in her return from a back injury that sidelined her since the Ford Championship in late March. She shot 68.
Brooke Henderson, the Canadian who won the event in 2017 and 2019, shot a 73 to drop into a tie for 24th at seven under. Defending champion Leona Maguire of Ireland was tied for 57th at three under after a 72.
Top-ranked Nelly Korda left Friday after missing her second straight cut following a stretch of six victories in seven events. She won at Blythefield in 2021 at a tournament-record 25 under.
The major KPMG Women’s PGA Championship is next week at Sahalee outside Seattle, live on Sky Sports.
Who will win the third men’s major of the year? Watch the US Open live on Sky Sports. Live coverage of the final round begins on Sunday from 2pm on Sky Sports Golf. Stream the US Open and more with NOW.
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Ally Ewing shot a scorching, nine-under 63 to move into a tie with Australia’s Grace Kim for the lead at the Meijer LPGA Classic in Belmont, as world No 1 Nelly Korda missed the cut.
Ewing and Kim stand at 11 under after two trips around Blythefield Country Club after Kim posted a 65 on Friday. They are two shots ahead of Denmark’s Nanna Koerstz Madsen (64 Friday) and South Korea’s Narin An (68).
Korda couldn’t recover from an opening-round 76. She shot a second round five-under 67 but missed the cut line of two under by a single stroke, missing her second straight cut after winning six of seven events.
“I’m very pleased with the way that I struck the ball today off the tee, something I’ve been struggling with this year,” Korda said. “This was by far the best I’ve hit it off the tee, so a little bit of positivity.
Ewing’s bogey-free round began with three birdies over her first five holes, and she chipped in for eagle at the par-five eighth hole. She sank four more birdies coming home, including a short putt at the par-three 11th after an excellent tee shot.
“I think you can make a lot of birdies out here,” Ewing said. “At the same time, I approach a golf course with what it gives me, so I try to play smart but aggressive golf.”
The 31-year-old, who has three LPGA wins to her name, found her form again after tying for third at the US Women’s Open two weeks ago.
“Yeah, I think any time you get a good finish in any tournament, much less a major, you just see good golf for four days, definitely helps your confidence when you carry it over,” Ewing said. “The golf ball doesn’t know what I did last week, but it’s still important to attack it but also have confidence with it.”
Kim started her round on the back nine and also piled up three birdies over her first five. After bogeying the 17th, she bounced back with an eagle at the par-five 18th. She added a final bang with three straight birdies from the sixth to eighth holes.
Kim said the conditions changed drastically for her after playing Thursday’s round in heavy wind.
“I think I was the second-lowest scorer of the day [Thursday] in the afternoon, and, yeah that says a lot of how tough the conditions were,” Kim said. “But to be able to pull through and make a few more birdies, back-to-back birdies to finish my round, yeah, very much topped it off.”
Brooke Henderson of Canada, a two-time winner of this event, shot 69 Friday and is part of a tie for fifth at eight under with Lauren Hartlage (69), Allison Corpuz (68), South Korea’s Jin Hee Im (65) and China’s Jing Yan (68).
Who will win the third men’s major of the year? Watch the US Open live on Sky Sports. Live coverage of the third round begins on Saturday from 3pm on Sky Sports Golf. Stream the US Open and more with NOW.
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