Minami Katsu Sets New Record in Shanghai and Leads the LPGA Tournament
SHANGHAI – Japanese golfer Minami Katsu shone at the LPGA tournament in Shanghai, setting a new course record with an impressive round of 61 strokes, 11 under par. This achievement gave her a two-stroke lead at the halfway point of the event. Katsu, with six birdies on the front nine, continued his dominance with six more birdies after a bogey on the 10th hole, demonstrating exceptional consistency. The 27-year-old player, with a cumulative score of 13 under par (131 strokes) after two rounds, is seeking her first victory on the circuit. “It was a pretty flawless round, with some luck, but overall very good,” commented Katsu. “My personal best was 10 under par, so today I set a new personal record.”Katsu surpassed the previous course record, set by Sei Young Kim last year. The golfer focused on the basics, adding 12 birdies throughout the day. Ina Yoon finished in second place with 11 under par, after a round of 68 strokes, surpassing Americans Jenny Bae and Lindy Duncan (67) by one stroke. Bae, who aspired to the lead, had an unfortunate finish on the 18th hole, ending with a triple bogey 7 and a card of 69 strokes. The leader of the first day, Arpichaya Yubol, recorded 71 strokes and was in fifth place with 9 under par, tied with Somi Lee (67) and Jeeno Thitikul (70).“Honestly, I am very happy with the record I set today. Obviously, we still have two days of play left, so there probably won’t be a celebration. I will try to keep it simple”.
Minami Katsu
This event in Shanghai is the first of five tournaments in Asia, followed by two weeks in South Korea, including the International Crown team event, and tournaments in Malaysia and Japan.
In the previous week, Youmin Hwang maintained the streak of different winners in the 25 official LPGA tournaments this year, being the sixth South Korean player to obtain a victory on the circuit.
