Allisen Corpuz rode a bogey-free 67 into a share of the lead at the FM Championship on Friday at TPC Boston in Norton, Mass.
Corpuz sits at 9-under-par 135 and is tied with South Korea’s Hyo Joo Kim, who also posted a 67, and Japan’s Miyu Yamashita, who shot a 70.
They are one stroke ahead of a trio of players tied at 8 under: Morgane Metraux of Switzerland and Ruoning Yin of China, two of the three players to card a 7-under 65 Friday, and Jenny Bae (68).
While Yamashita is aiming to win in back-to-back weeks on tour following her nine-shot victory at the CPKC Women’s Open, Corpuz is in a much different situation.
The Honolulu native won the 2023 U.S. Women’s Open for her first professional victory. She hasn’t won a tournament in the three-plus years since.
“Ball-striking has been really solid this week,” Corpuz said. “It’s something that’s been good (and) bad throughout the season. Like I said, this course has always looked really good for me. I felt really comfortable over the ball, and, yeah, just go into the weekend and try to roll in a few more putts.”
Corpuz made all five of her birdies in a seven-hole stretch from Nos. 4-10.
“I think this is a course that I’ve just come to and it looks good to my eye,” Corpuz said. “I’ve been hitting the ball really well and putting myself in the right spots; even when I missed had a good look at a good up and down for par. I think this course is just one you just stay patient and you’ll get the opportunities as they come.”
Kim had six birdies mixed with one bogey on her card Friday. She hit 12 of 14 fairways in regulation but only 12 of 18 greens, requiring some par saves.
“My putting went well and necessarily one thing, but overall I think my round went well,” she said through a translator. “I was able to save some, so I think that’s what went well for me.
Metraux is searching for her first LPGA Tour win after collecting two on the Ladies European Tour. She was boosted early on by an eagle at the par-5 second hole before she added five birdies.
“I hit I don’t know how many fairways, but pretty much all of them I think, or close to that,” said Metraux, who in fact made 13 of 14 in regulation. “Then I hit some really solid iron shots. I was playing conservative when I had to. Some of the pins out there are pretty tough, especially on the back nine, so I was playing conservative when I needed to. Just two-putted from distance, and then when it was a green light flag, I was able to attack really well.”
Tied at 7 under are Russian Nataliya Guseva (68) and Denmark’s Emily Kristine Pedersen (72). Thailand’s Suvichaya Vinijchaitham had the other 65 of the day, lifting her to 6 under.
Among the others at 6 under were South Koreans Haeran Ryu (70), the two-time major winner this year, and Sei Young Kim, who led after the first round but followed her 64 with a 74 to drop back.
World No. 2 Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand shot a 68 to move up to 4 under, as did Rose Zhang. World No. 1 Nelly Korda posted an even-par 72 for the second straight round and made the cut on the number.
