Malia Nam, making her second career LPGA Tour start on a course she knows like the back of her hand, carded a two-under-par 69 on Friday to take a one-shot lead in the Seri Pak Championship.
Nam, who said this week she had played the par-71 Palos Verdes Golf Club course “probably over a hundred times” as a collegiate golfer at the University of Southern California, had five birdies to overcome a double-bogey and a bogey, her eight-under-par total of 134 putting her one stroke clear of defending champion Yin Ruoning and Madelene Sagstrom.
China’s Yin climbed the leaderboard with a six-under-par 65 and Sweden’s Sagstrom posted a 69.
South Africa’s Ashleigh Buhai shared ninth position on four-under 138 after a 66 that included seven birdies and two bogies, with countrywoman Paulo Reto (70) a further shot behind.
“It’s funny, because in college I never really played well here,” Nam said. “This is actually the first time that I think I shot consecutively under par, so I’m a bit surprised myself.”
Sagstrom and Yin were in the clubhouse on seven under when Nam made back-to-back birdies at the 6th and 7th to reach eight under.
Nam, who made her LPGA debut in January with a tie for 57th at the Drive On Championship, said it was “a pretty surreal feeling” to see her name atop the leaderboard.
“Especially with all the best players in the world,” she added. “I always knew that I can play out here, but I didn’t expect it to be so quick to see my name up on the top of the leaderboard.”
Yin surged home with an eagle and two birdies in her last three holes, hitting a five-iron to six feet for an eagle at the 7th.
“Just took one bounce and bounced up, probably six feet for eagle,” said Yin, who then rolled in a 45-footer for birdie at the 8th and birdied the 9th.
“On the front nine, the fairways are wide open and I can smoke it whenever I want,” said the world No 4, whose maiden LPGA win here last year was followed by her Major triumph at the Women’s PGA.
“Plus, today’s pin positions are quite easy – I can be aggressive,” she added.
Sagstrom also finished strong with birdies at the 14th, 16th and 17th.
“Happy I hung in there,” she said. “I was steady, putting well on the greens, so I feel good about my game.”
The tournament, hosted this year by South Korean LPGA Hall of Famer Pak Se-ri, marks the Tour’s return Stateside after an Asian swing.
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Photo: Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images
