ORLANDO, Fla. — One among Brooke Henderson’s objectives heading into the newly minted LPGA Tour season was to get herself into competition extra typically. The Canadian is off to a robust begin, constructing a four-shot lead Friday within the Hilton Grand Holidays Match of Champions.
Enjoying alongside Corridor of Famer Annika Sorenstam, who’s competing within the superstar division, Henderson ran off 4 birdies starting on the second gap, was 9-under par by the point she stepped onto the sixth tee and performed mistake-free for a 6-under 66 at Lake Nona.
The opposite 28 LPGA execs within the winners-only discipline swiftly entered into scramble mode simply to maintain from dropping sight of her. Henderson’s closest pursuers going into the third spherical are Nelly Korda — at No. 2 the top-ranked participant within the discipline — England’s Charley Hull and Wei-Ling Hsu of Taiwan. They every shot 69.
Editor’s Picks
Henderson was sensational in the beginning, hitting a few wedges near tight gap areas to arrange two of her early birdies, and almost holing a 6-iron for ace on the 171-yard fourth gap. Making the beginning additional particular was enjoying with Sorenstam for the primary time.
“I really feel like I will bear in mind it eternally,” mentioned Henderson, who has made just one bogey in 36 holes. “Simply a kind of alternatives of a lifetime. All of us look as much as her out right here on tour. She’s variety and clearly an excellent participant, and I feel we will all be taught quite a bit from her.”
Korda headed off after the spherical to work on her placing after lacking a number of beauty on the entrance 9 — although she did have 4 birdies after the tenth gap.
Hull, in the meantime, who fled the chilly climate of England for 3 days of apply in Morocco to arrange, mentioned her swing was out of kinds, and labored exhausting to supply a rating beneath 70. A 3-putt bogey on the ultimate gap left her with a spherical of 69, alongside Hsu, 5 pictures behind Henderson.
“Clearly, I have been enjoying within the frost, so it bounces miles. Our greens are thick. These greens are so quick in comparison with what I am used to enjoying on,” Hull mentioned. “Yeah, I used to be pondering at present the Individuals positively have an enormous benefit — however I like England an excessive amount of to maneuver wherever else.”
Hsu, who acquired right here by successful the 2021 Pure Silk Championship, made six birdies however none after the thirteenth gap, finishing her 69 with 5 pars.
Tennis participant and Davis Cup captain Mardy Fish took management among the many celebrities and athletes, posting the equal of a 67 within the Modified Stableford scoring system.
He has 78 factors, 9 factors higher than Sorenstam, a Lake Nona resident, and navy veteran Chad Pfeifer. Fish and Korda started their day within the wee darkish hours, each rising early to observe Sebastian Korda — Nelly’s brother — win his match on the Australian Open.