October 12, 2024
Ryu’s birdie streak gives him six-shot lead at FM Championship

Ryu’s birdie streak gives him six-shot lead at FM Championship

South Korean leader Ryu Hae-ran plays his shot from the 15th tee at the FM Championship at TPC Boston (Raj Mehta)

South Korean leader Ryu Hae-ran plays his shot from the 15th tee at the FM Championship at TPC Boston (Raj Mehta)

South Korea’s Ryu Hae-ran shot a stunning second-round 10-under 62 to take a six-shot lead at the LPGA FM Championship in Norton, Massachusetts, on Friday.

The 23-year-old caught fire on the front nine holes, making four consecutive birdies starting on the fourth hole at TPC Boston.

She produced another four-birdie streak on the 14th hole and took command of the leaderboard as she seeks her second LPGA Tour victory.

“It was an unbelievable day because my shots, everything next to the hole and my putts, everything went in the hole,” said Ryu, who improved on his previous career-low 18-hole score of 64.

The South Korean, who is in her second year on the LPGA Tour, said she didn’t expect to be able to post such a low score on the course, but she quickly discovered it was perfect for her game.

“Because the greens are so small and the course conditions are really firm this week, but I like this condition because my shots are more accurate than other players, so I love this course. These greens are so clear, so I just trusted my shots and made so many birdies today,” she said.

Ryu has five top-five finishes this season as she looks to add to her victory at Arkansas in October.

Three players are tied for second at 7 under par, six shots behind Ryu: Australian Robyn Choi, American Yealimi Noh and Filipina Bianca Pagdanganan.

Pagdanganan shot a bogey-free, 6-under-par 66, with half of his birdies coming on the first three holes.

“It’s weird. I feel like I should be happy with a 6-under-par round, but I started really strong and thought I could keep going. Once I turned around, I think the putter got cold,” she said.

“It’s good. Knowing I can put up a good score today really helps my confidence. I don’t think I made a lot of long birdie putts. But I have two rounds left, so we’ll see how tomorrow goes,” she said.

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