Los Angeles (AFP) - Lilia Vu made the most of a rain-softened course to card a three-under par 69 on Friday and take the early second-round lead at the LPGA Chevron Championship, the first women's golf major of the year.
Vu started the day one shot behind first-round leader Chien Peiyun and her seven-under par total of 137 put her one stroke in front of her nearest rivals in the clubhouse, former major winners Patty Tavatanakit of Thailand and American world number two Nelly Korda.
"Really happy to finish today," said Vu, who had four of her six birdies on the front nine on the Jack Nicklaus Signature course at The Woodlands north of Houston, Texas.
"I think the weather was pretty nice for us, no rain, just a little bit of wind," she added."I'm happy, and then just going to go home and see my physio and get ready for tomorrow."
Korda, in search of a second major title after her 2021 Women's PGA Championship victory, had five birdies and three bogeys in her two-under 70.
"There are bogeys out there and you try to minimize your mistakes as much as possible," she said."I was punching the air a couple of times after my two three-putts, which are kind of stupid mistakes, but you just kind of have to stay mentally tough and know that there are some birdie opportunities as well."
Tavatanakit, who led all the way in winning the 2021 Chevron Championship -- when the tournament was played at its former home in Rancho Mirage, California -- had seven birdies in her five-under 67.
She birdied five on the front nine, and rebounded from two bogeys with a birdie-birdie finish to join Korda on six-under 138.
Vu is chasing her second win of the season after nabbing her first LPGA title in Thailand in February.
She's had three top-15 finishes since then, and said that after a tough rookie season in 2019 and a return to the developmental tour she has become more patient -- something that will stand her in good stead in the demanding atmosphere of a major championship with the added complication of weather disruptions.
Kupcho struggles
"I try to remind myself that it's a really tough week," she said."Everybody is going to make mistakes.It's just how I come back from it, and then just try and make birdie the next hole and just let it go ...I'm just trying to be nice to myself this week."
Friday's late start meant the second round was unlikely to finish before darkness fell.
But defending champion Jennifer Kupcho's hopes of a repeat were all but over after a six-over 78 that included a double bogey and a triple bogey and left her six-over through 36 holes and outside the projected cut line.
Taiwan's Chien was among the late starters and opened her round with a bogey at the first hole.
World number one Lydia Ko of New Zealand, who began the day four shots off the lead, was three-over through her first six holes thanks in part to a damaging double-bogey seven at the par-five fourth.
