Nelly Korda Trails Ina Yoon by 6 Shots at Women's PGA Midway Point

Q: Can star player Nelly Korda overcome a six-stroke deficit to capture her third consecutive major title?

Yes — Korda is very much in contention, but she needs help from the leader and a sharp weekend of her own. She is six shots back at 6-under after two rounds, tied for sixth, which is a significant gap in a major but not an unmanageable one. The key factor is that Hazeltine is expected to play tougher over the weekend, with more wind and harder pin positions. That should make it harder for Ina Yoon to keep producing low scores and could compress the leaderboard. Korda also has recent evidence that she can make this kind of charge. She rallied from seven strokes behind after the opening round to win the U.S. Women’s Open, showing she can recover in a major under pressure. Her second-round 68 moved her into a realistic chasing position, and she has spoken about taking it “one shot at a time,” a mindset that has served her well in big events. Still, the challenge is substantial. Yoon is not only five clear of second place and six ahead of Korda, but she has looked composed and efficient, following a record-tying 63 with a 69. A five-shot 36-hole lead at this championship is rare, and such leaders have historically been difficult to catch. So the answer is yes: Korda can do it, especially given her form and comeback pedigree. But she likely needs a low round Saturday and some regression from Yoon, because this remains Yoon’s tournament to lose.

Q: Will Ina Yoon's historic lead prove to be a mental burden rather than a decisive advantage?

Probably not; right now, Yoon’s lead looks more like a real advantage than a mental trap. The evidence starts with the scoreboard. A five-shot cushion through 36 holes in this championship is rare, and history suggests it matters. Only three other players had previously led by at least five at this stage, and at least one of them, Mickey Wright in 1958, converted comfortably. Yoon also is not surviving with luck alone: she backed up her record-tying 63 with a composed 69, showing she could protect a lead rather than just post one hot round. Her recent background also argues against a collapse. Yoon has already come through heavier pressure than a halfway lead, rebuilding her career after a suspension in Korea and then winning big on the KLPGA before joining the LPGA. She has said her approach is to “think nothing” and focus only on what she needs to do, which is the kind of narrow, shot-by-shot mindset players use to manage major-championship stress. That said, the burden is real. She is chasing her first LPGA title, the weekend will bring stronger wind and tougher pins at Hazeltine, and the field behind her is strong. Hae Ran Ryu shot 64, Brooke Henderson is close, and Nelly Korda is within six and has already shown she can erase large deficits in majors. A big lead can shrink quickly on a demanding course. So the pressure is undeniable, but Yoon’s form, margin, and demonstrated resilience suggest the lead is still more asset than liability heading into the weekend.

3 articles · Updated · BBC.com · Jun 27

Nelly Korda reached 6-under with a second-round 68, leaving the world No. 1 six shots behind Ina Yoon at the halfway mark at Hazeltine.
Yoon followed her opening 63 with a 3-under 69 to sit at 12-under, five clear of a chasing group that includes Brooke Henderson, Nasa Hataoka and Hyo Joo Ryu.
Korda, chasing a third straight major after winning the Chevron Championship and U.S. Open, said a large weekend lead can bring pressure as others "hunt you down."
Charley Hull, runner-up to Korda at the U.S. Open, missed the cut at 2-over, while the championship is playing for a record $13 million purse with $1.95 million to the winner.