A Lim Kim of South Korea will take a three-shot lead into the weekend after posting a 3-under-par 69 in the second round of the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions on Friday in Orlando, Fla.
Kim led by four after the first round and moved to 10-under 134 at the halfway mark of the LPGA’s season opener. Linn Grant of Sweden shot a 67 at Lake Nona Golf & Country Club and now stands at 7 under, while World No. 1 Nelly Korda also shot 67 to join a tie for third at 6 under.
Tied with Korda are Japan’s Rio Takeda and Ireland’s Leona Maguire, each of whom posted 68 Friday.
Kim, 29, carded seven birdies without a bogey in the first round but was on more of an adventure Friday, combining six birdies with three bogeys.
“Still good,” Kim said. “Different (than Thursday), wind different direction, but still fun.”
Kim won the 2020 U.S. Women’s Open and then went winless on the LPGA Tour until last November, when she broke through to win the Lotte Championship.
“When I was came (to the) U.S. everything is uncomfortable because food, language, and then grass, people, everything,” Kim said. “But I don’t have a choice. I want to play in LPGA, so just try. More I learn English and more learn grass and more learn everything. I have more time getting better (at) everything.”
Grant capped her round off with an eagle at the par-5 ninth hole.
“I hit a 4-hybrid into the green from like 220 yards,” Grant said. “Then I just had a 12-footer and it went in.”
Grant, 25, will be in the mix on the weekend. Her only LPGA victory came at the 2023 Dana Open, but she is a six-time winner on the Ladies European Tour.
Korda, 26, made her only bogey of the day on her fourth hole, the par-3 13th, to drop to even par for the tournament. She rebounded with consecutive birdies at Nos. 14-15, added one at the 18th and knocked in three more coming home.
“(I) just capitalized a little bit more, made some more putts, hit a few more solid shots (Friday),” Korda said. “(The course is) definitely playing a little softer and longer compared to years past. Hit some really solid shots and just capitalized on them.”
Korda was a seven-time winner last season and is aiming to kick off 2025 in a similar winning fashion.
Maguire, 30, committed a double bogey at the par-3 13th hole but more than made up for it by birdieing her final five holes of the day.
“It’s my home course so I know these holes pretty well,” she said. “I know I can birdie them all, so just a case of trying to give myself chances. Hit some really nice iron shots and didn’t leave myself very far for birdie.”
South Korea’s Jin Young Ko (70) is alone in sixth at 5 under. Defending champion and World No. 2 Lydia Ko of New Zealand posted a 67 to get to 4 under for the tournament, in a tie for seventh with Lauren Coughlin (68).
–Field Level Media
