Minami Katsu Sets New Record in Shanghai
Japanese golfer Minami Katsu starred in a historic day at the LPGA Shanghai tournament, setting a new course record with an impressive card of 11 under par and a total of 61 strokes this Friday. This outstanding performance gives her a two-stroke lead going into the middle of the championship. Katsu demonstrated her dominance from the start, accumulating six birdies in the first nine holes. Although she suffered a bogey on the 10th hole, the Japanese golfer recovered with six additional birdies, sealing an exceptional round at the Qizhong Garden Golf Club. With this performance, the 27-year-old player reached a cumulative score of 13 under par (131 strokes) after two rounds, in her quest for her first victory on the circuit.Katsu, focused on the essentials, achieved 12 birdies during the day, surpassing by one stroke the previous course record established by Sei Young Kim last year.It was a pretty flawless round, with a bit of luck, but overall very good. My personal best was 10 under par, so today I set a new personal record.
Minami Katsu
Ina Yoon finished in second place at 11-under par, after a round of 68 strokes. Jenny Bae and Lindy Duncan, both Americans, were one stroke behind, with a score of 67. Bae, who aspired to the lead with 13 under par in the final group, had a complicated finish. A shot in a bunker followed by another in the water resulted in a triple bogey on the 18th hole, finishing the round with 69 strokes. His second round included eight birdies, two bogeys, and the triple bogey. The leader from the previous night, Arpichaya Yubol, finished with 71 strokes and a total of 9 under par, tied for fifth place with Somi Lee (67) and Jeeno Thitikul (70). The Shanghai event is the first of five tournaments in Asia, followed by two weeks in South Korea, including the International Crown team event, and other tournaments in Malaysia and Japan. Last week, Youmin Hwang kept the streak of having different winners in each of the 25 official LPGA tournaments this year. Hwang was the sixth South Korean player to win on the LPGA this year.Honestly, I am very happy with the record I made today. Obviously, we still have two days of play left, so there will probably be no celebration. I will try to keep it simple.
Minami Katsu
