CINCINNATI — Ruixin Liu of China was nonetheless affected by allergic reactions that compelled her to withdraw from the LPGA Tour occasion final week. It did not cease her from posting a 7-under 65 on Thursday for her finest spherical of the 12 months and a one-shot lead within the Kroger Queen Metropolis Championship.
Liu began so effectively that her lone remorse was a par on the twelfth gap when she hit her method to 18 toes on the par 5 and three-putted for a par. She had seven birdies by 13 holes after which closed with 5 pars.
Liu had a one-shot lead on the Kendale course at Kenwood Nation Membership over Peiyun Chien, Elizabeth Szokol, short-hitting Dottie Ardina and Linnea Strom.
Liu reached the par-5 second gap for a two-putt birdie, made a 15-foot birdie on the following gap after which all of it felt straightforward.
“From that time on the putter is simply rolling nice,” Liu stated. “I just about made every part apart from gap No. 12. That is the one unhealthy gap I performed in the present day, as a result of my second shot was solely like 18 toes for eagle and I three-putted.”
She had no complaints, particularly after a extreme allergy response brought about her to withdraw from the Portland Basic. Liu stated she nonetheless did not have a transparent head for the opening spherical in Cincinnati and has no thought why she performed so effectively.
“I am very glad to take it,” she stated.
The Queen Metropolis Championship is the ultimate LPGA occasion earlier than the Solheim Cup on Sept. 22-24 in Spain, and among the higher performances got here from Europe.
Emily Kristine Pedersen of Denmark and Charley Hull, a runner-up in two majors this 12 months, every had been at 67. Madelene Sagstrom of Sweden was at 69, together with Individuals Jennifer Kupcho and Ally Ewing, the defending champion at Kenwood.
Rose Zhang holed a 20-foot par putt on the 18th gap for a 70.
Lexi Thompson confirmed little enchancment. Thompson is having her worst 12 months on the LPGA Tour however nonetheless made the Solheim Cup staff by the ladies’s world rating. Thompson, who has missed 5 of her final six cuts, made double bogey on the final gap for a 73. She would wish a superb rating Friday simply to make the minimize.
Lydia Ko and Ladies’s PGA champion Ruoning Yin had been at 68.
The LPGA Tour is coming off every week that delivered one of many greatest surprises of the 12 months. Thai teenager Chanettee Wannasaen, a Monday qualifier who was No. 367 on the earth, received the Portland Basic.
Liu could be one other shock. She is a six-time winner on the Futures Tour however has by no means completed within the prime 10 on the LPGA Tour in particular person play.
She is No. 250 on the earth and her finest result’s a tie for twentieth that counts towards the rating. So it was superb to really feel poorly from allergic reactions and submit her low spherical of the 12 months.
“I do not wish to give myself an excessive amount of expectation as a result of bodily I do not really feel nice,” Liu stated. “So I am simply going to take a superb break, attempt to sleep good, and attempt to do the identical factor tomorrow.”
It is a totally different Kenwood course from a 12 months in the past, when rain drenched the Kendale course and allowed participant to elevate, clear and place. This 12 months is drier and the ball was operating.
That was a giant assist to Ardina, who’s 168th in driving distance with a median of 233 yards. However the greens are principally open in entrance, and Ardina was capable of run fairway metals onto the placing floor and convert the putts.
“To be sincere, I solely performed the again 9 for the follow spherical. I did not play the entrance 9, so I used to be simply sort of winging it on the market this afternoon,” Ardina stated. “I used to be simply attempting to hit fairways and greens.”
