Golf

Aussies closing in on Korea's Founders Cup leader

By AAP Newswire

Mar 21, 2026

Karis Davidson. — Karis Davidson is one of two Aussies five shots behind the leader after 36 holes in California. -AAP Image

Hyo Joo Kim has doubled her lead to four strokes at the midway point of the LPGA Tour's Founders Cup, capping a late afternoon rally with a six-foot birdie putt on the par-3 eighth.

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But there are three Australians within reach with two rounds to play.

Karis Davidson (68) and Minjee Lee (70) are five off the pace at six under, along with five others, while compatriot Robyn Choi (68) is five under.

Lee closed Friday's round with a bogey after making four straight birdies.

"A little bit of things to clean up, but I think I'm in a pretty nice position going into the weekend," she said.

Aussies Cassie Porter (71) at four under and Grace Kim (70) one under also made the cut.

A day after holing out for eagle on the par-5 18th hole for a nine-under 63 and a two-shot lead, South Korean Kim shot 70 in her afternoon round at tree-lined Sharon Heights.

Mexican Gabby Lopez (70) is second at seven under, with top-ranked Jeeno Thitikul (66) of Thailand and American Nelly Korda (68) in the group another shot back.

Playing the back nine first, Kim bogeyed Nos. 11 and 17, then rebounded with birdies on 18, one, three and eight.

"The golf course is a bit hard," Kim said.

"The tee shots are hard to play and the shape of the course is a little tricky. I try my best to just try to do what I need to do."

Kim, the world No.8, won the 2015 Founders Cup in Phoenix for the second of her seven LPGA Tour titles.

"It's been so long," Kim said about the 2015 victory.

"I think I won my rookie year. It was an unforgettable memory because it was my first win as a LPGA member."

Coming off a third-place finish last month in Thailand, Kim is the defending champion next week in Arizona in the Ford Championship.

Lopez had three front-nine birdies and dropped a stroke on the par-4 16th.

Thitikul opened with a bogey and birdied five of the next seven. On the back nine, she birdied 12 and 18.

Korda, who skipped the Asia swing after winning the season opener in Florida, had late birdies on Nos. 7 and 8.

The tournament has attracted eight of the top 10 players in the world ranking and kicks off a four-tournament stretch in the West ahead of the first major of the year.

With AAP.