Australia’s Hannah Green is chasing the victory of her lifetime at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship in Minnesota – and doing a very decent job of it.
Perth’s Green, 22, stands atop the leaderboard in the women’s tour’s third Major of the season for a second consecutive day at Hazeltine National Golf Club near Minneapolis today after a second-round 69 to go with her opening 68.
At seven-under she now takes a three-shot lead into the weekend in just her seventh start in a Major. Former world No.1 Ariya Jutanugarn in among the pursuers, sitting second at four-under.
Green’s previous best finish in two seasons on the LPGA Tour is seventh in the ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open in 2017.
With a birdie at the 6th, Hannah Green extends her lead to two. #KPMGWomensPGA pic.twitter.com/A1HoOq2rO2
— KPMGWomensPGA (@KPMGWomensPGA) June 21, 2019
Her three previous wins as a professional were on the secondary Symetra Tour in 2017, when she first secured her playing rights on the world’s biggest tour.
Green made three birdies on the par fours but her par at the 12th hole was the most spectacular of all, coming after she put her second shot into a pond short and right of the green. After taking a penalty drop, she proceeded to hole out from 50 metres.
Hannah Green extends her #KPMGWomensPGA lead by 4! pic.twitter.com/dSaVjTUuCN
— KPMGWomensPGA (@KPMGWomensPGA) June 21, 2019
“I didn’t even think I hit it in the water, didn’t think it was that close,’’ she said later. “I was upset that I hit it there because it was quite a silly mistake. I just wanted to get it close, make sure it stayed on the green on the right tier. When it went in, I just laughed. Like, I haven’t had this much luck in the last two years in a long time.”
Green also holed out from a bunker in the first round, joking about the ball rolling for her over the opening two days at Hazeltine. “I hope it can stay the next two days,” she said.
