Lexi Thompson grabs lead at Meijer LPGA Classic

Lexi Thompson fought through the pain barrier to grab a one-shot lead at the Meijer LPGA Classic after carding a four-under-par 67.

Thompson, struggling with a sore back, on Friday broke from a pack of players who had been locked in a five-way tie after the first round with six birdies and two bogeys at Blythefield.

The 21-year-old star is on 10-under 132 after 36 holes at the course in Belmont, Michigan.

Alena Sharp of Canada and South Koreans Chun In-Gee, Ryu So-Yeon and Q Baek were tied for second behind Thompson. All four players shot 67s on Friday.

Thompson meanwhile said she was pleased with her round after struggling through back pain.

"It just came on last weekend and it was really bad today," Thompson said. 
"I'm not really one to complain about pain because I just fight through it, but yeah, it's hurting. I'm going to go and get a rubdown and see if it goes away."

Thompson had a roller coaster finish, with bogeys on the 15th and 16th before recovering with consecutive birdies on 17 and 18.

"It was definitely important to come back from the two bogeys," she said. "I just hit a few errant drives there toward the end and made bogeys, but I played 17 and 18 well.

Thompson is chasing her eighth LPGA Tour victory, with her most recent win coming in the Honda LPGA Thailand in February.

"I didn't really want to pay attention to how bad (my back) was hurting because then it brings more attention to it and it becomes a mind game," Thompson said. 

"I just tried not to focus on it and I just tried to stick to what I did yesterday."

Sharp meanwhile is hoping to snare her first title after six top-10 finishes in 11 seasons.

Two shots off the lead were Amy Yang (67), Kim Sei-Young (69), Minjee Lee (67), Haru Nomura (67), Jodi Ewart Shadoff (68), Amelia Lewis (68) and Carlota Ciganda (69).

World number one Lydia Ko and newly crowned LPGA Championship winner Brooke Henderson were seven under after second-round 68s.

"I started out not as well as I would have liked, 1 over for the front nine, but I made a lot of birdies on the back and go 4 under, so overall it was a pretty steady day," Henderson said.

"I know I have some work to do on the weekend, but I'm looking forward to it."

Source: AFP