Two days of round-robin play have done nothing to whittle down the potential players to move on to the weekend’s knockout rounds for two of the pods at the T-Mobile Match Play.
Lydia Ko, Carlota Ciganda, Gabriela Ruffels and Hira Naveed in group three are all 1-1 after two days of play at the LPGA event. The same is true in group 13, where Lauren Coughlin, Ina Yoon, Mi Hyang Lee and Lucy Li all stand 1-1.
That sets up a final day of win-or-go-home for everyone in those groups Friday, with Ko and Ciganda facing off in the highlight match. It will be one of mutual respect.
“She’s so good with her hybrids, her irons, putting, everything,” Ciganda said. “She’s such a complete player that I know it’s going to be a tough match.”
Ko said the challenge will be keeping up with Ciganda, who is much longer off the tee.
“I’m sure she’s going to hit much shorter clubs into the greens than me, which could be an advantage,” Ko said. “But I’ve just got to focus on my golf, and that’s what I did really well today. I feel like as long as I’m playing good I’m going to have a good shot at it.”
Li feels she has as good a chance as anybody to emerge from her group after holding off Yoon on Thursday.
“There is so much golf left to be played, and this course is so tough,” the rising American player said. “You have to keep your head down and just focus on every shot. If you’re up or if you’re down, it’s the same, so just trust the process.”
While those two pods are anybody’s guess, group nine is down to just two players. Maja Stark and Hyo Joo Kim will face off Friday in the only match featuring two players with 2-0 records, effectively turning it into the start of the knockout rounds.
That’s just fine with Stark.
“It’s not going to affect the strategy at all,” Stark said after her 3-and-2 victory over Bailey Tardy. “You don’t get very many birdie opportunities out there. It just feels like you’re holding on for dear life the whole time.”
Kim and Stark are among a dozen players in the field to get through the first two rounds unscathed. It’s a list that includes heavyweights Jeeno Thitikul, Brooke Henderson, Celine Boutier and Ariya Jutanugarn.
Henderson has yet to see beyond the 14th hole at Shadow Creek, following up a dominant 6-and-5 win on Wednesday with a 5-and-4 rout of Peiyun Chien on Thursday.
And while Jutanugarn is 2-0, she must get by defending champion and world No. 1 Nelly Korda on Friday if she hopes to play on the weekend. Korda (1-0-1) stumbled down the stretch but still managed to hold off Jennifer Kupcho 1-up on Thursday.
“Very questionable by me,” she said of some of her shots on the back nine. “Definitely don’t have my best stuff right now.”
Neither does Las Vegas star Rose Zhang, who conceded her match to Albane Valenzuela after four holes Thursday one day after complaining of neck pain.
Whether she returns Friday is up in the air and adds some drama into her group, which also includes Megan Khang and Nataliya Guseva. After two days, it’s Guseva who controls her own destiny with a 1-0-1 record.
That fact won’t add any pressure on the 22-year-old, she said.
“I think golf is about having fun, and when you make it more difficult, it makes you think miserable out there,” Guseva said. “I don’t want to have that feeling. I just will to keep it easy and make it fun.”
Shadow Creek will have a big say in how fun Friday turns out to be.
Greg Robertson covers golf for the Review-Journal. Reach him at grobertson@reviewjournal.com
Up next
What: T-Mobile Match Play
When: Friday-Sunday
Where: Shadow Creek
Third-round TV: 3 p.m. Friday (Golf Channel)
Friday’s matches
8:35 a.m.: Rose Zhang vs. Megan Khang
8:45 a.m.: Nanna Koerstz Madsen vs. Bailey Tardy
8:55 a.m.: Jennifer Kupcho vs. Brittany Altomare
9:05 a.m.: Angel Yin vs. Jin Hee Im
9:15 a.m.: Pajaree Anannarukarn vs. Moriya Jutanugarn
9:25 a.m.: Haeran Ryu vs. Mao Saigo
9:35 a.m.: Andrea Lee vs. Linnea Strom
9:45 a.m.: Albane Valenzuela vs. Nataliya Guseva
9:55 a.m.: Yealimi Noh vs. Yuka Saso
10:05 a.m.: Narin An vs. Hinako Shibuno
10:15 a.m.: Amy Yang vs. A Lim Kim
10:25 a.m.: Jenny Shin vs. Grace Kim
10:35 a.m.: Ayaka Furue vs. Nasa Hataoka
10:45 a.m.: Stephanie Kyriacou vs. Auston Kim
10:55 a.m.: Lauren Coughlin vs. Ina Yoon
11:05 a.m.: Mi Hyang Lee vs. Lucy Li
11:15 a.m.: Ruoning Yin vs. Sei Young Kim
11:25 a.m.: Chanettee Wannasaen vs. Yuna Nishimura
11:35 a.m.: Sarah Schmelzel vs. Somi Lee
11:45 a.m.: Celine Boutier vs. Allisen Corpuz
11:55 a.m.: Charley Hull vs. Esther Henseleit
12:05 p.m.: Ashleigh Buhai vs. Alexa Pano
12:15 p.m.: Gabriela Ruffels vs. Hira Naveed
12:25 p.m.: Lydia Ko vs. Carlota Ciganda
12:35 p.m.: Jeeno Thitikul vs. Hye-Jin Choi
12:45 p.m.: Gaby Lopez vs. Danielle Kang
12:55 p.m.: Madelene Sagstrom vs. Jasmine Suwannapura
1:05 p.m.: Minjee Lee vs. Patty Tavatanakit
1:15 p.m.: Hyo Joo Kim vs. Maja Stark
1:25 p.m.: Leona Maguire vs. Peiyun Chien
1:35 p.m.: Jin Young Ko vs. Brooke Henderson
1:45 p.m.: Nelly Korda vs. Ariya Jutanugarn
Thursday’s results
Jenny Shin def. Amy Yang, 2 up
A Lim Kim def. Grace Kim, 2 up
Stephanie Kyriacou def. Ayaka Furue, 4 and 2
Nasa Hataoka def. Auston Kim, 5 and 4
Mi Hyang Lee def. Lauren Coughlin, 1 up
Lucy Li def. Ina Yoon, 4 and 3
Ruoning Yin tied Chanettee Wannasaen
Sei Young Kim def. Yuna Nishimura, 4 and 2
Angel Yin def. Pajaree Anannarukarn, 1 up
Jin Hee Im def. Moriya Jutanugarn, 4 and 3
Haeran Ryu def. Andrea Lee, 4 and 2
Mao Saigo def. Linnea Strom, 1 up
Albane Valenzuela def. Rose Zhang via concession
Nataliya Guseva def. Megan Khang, 2 and 1
Jeeno Thitikul def. Gaby Lopez, 2 and 1
Hye-Jin Choi def. Danielle Kang, 4 and 3
Celine Boutier def. Sarah Schmelzel, 2 and 1
Allisen Corpuz def. Somi Lee, 4 and 3
Charley Hull tied Ashleigh Buhai
Esther Henseleit def. Alexa Pano, 2 up
Madelene Sagstrom def. Minjee Lee, 3 and 2
Patty Tavatanakit def. Jasmine Suwannapura, 4 and 3
Lydia Ko def. Gabriela Ruffels, 6 and 5
Carlota Ciganda def. Hira Naveed, 2 and 1
Hyo Joo Kim def. Nanna Koerstz Madsen, 2 up
Maja Stark def. Bailey Tardy, 3 and 2
Jin Young Ko tied Leona Maguire
Brooke Henderson def. Peiyun Chien, 5 and 4
Narin An def. Yealimi Noh, 5 and 4
Yuka Saso def. Hinako Shibuno, 3 and 1
Nelly Korda def. Jennifer Kupcho, 1 up
Ariya Jutanugarn def. Brittany Altomare, 2 and 1
