Katherine Kirk shot a career-best 9-under 63 on Friday to take a three-stroke lead in the weather-delayed second round of the inaugural Thornberry Creek LPGA Classic.

Kirk, a 35-year-old Australian who has two victories in 14 years on the LPGA Tour, played the back nine in 7-under 29 at Thornberry Creek, the Oneida Nation-owned resort near Green Bay. She eagled the par-5 13th and hit a hybrid to 4 feet on the 196-yard, par-3 17th for her final birdie of the day to finish at 13-under through two rounds.

“My husband was up here Monday and Tuesday with me, and he said to me last night, ‘Someone could easily shoot 8 under around here,”’ Kirk said. “I’m just happy it was me, or 9 (under), I guess.”

Kirk finished her round before a 3 1/2-hour delay for lightning in the area.

“Perfect conditions, really,” she said. “We only had a little bit of breeze, but the greens for us are softer than usual, so we’re able to basically throw darts at it, and I think that’s why you’re seeing so many low numbers out there.”

Jaye Marie Green birdied eight of her final 12 holes to shoot 66 and was three shots back. Sandra Gal of Germany was also 10 under through 13 holes when play was suspended because of darkness.

Green, 23, who played college golf at Florida and has never won on the LPGA Tour, had her brother, Matt, on the bag.

“Everything was clicking, and then my brother is cool to caddie for me,” Green said. “He helps keep me calm when I don’t want to kill him.”

Moriya Jutanugarn of Thailand was four shots back after a second-round 68. Her younger sister, second-ranked Ariya Jutanugarn, withdrew with a shoulder injury on Friday, one day after struggling to a 78.

South African Ashleigh Buhai (66), South Korean Ilhee Lee (68) and Pavarisa Yoktuan of Thailand (68) were also four shots back. Christina Kim, Karine Icher, Amelia Lewis and Madeleine Sheils were another shot behind, along with Cristie Kerr, who had five holes left to play.

“I’m trying to tighten up my putting a little bit because this is a putting match out here,” Lewis said. “Whoever can make the putts is going to win this thing.”

Top-ranked So Yeon Ryu, No. 3 Lexi Thompson and No. 4 Lydia Ko are among those taking the week off before the U.S. Women’s Open next week at Trump International in New Jersey.

In Gee Chun, the highest-ranked player remaining in the field at No. 5, was 5 under through 12 holes. Eighth-ranked Brooke Henderson was also 5 under after a 68. Henderson finished runner-up to Danielle Kang in last week’s KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.

First-round co-leader Laura Gonzalez Escallon made a quadruple-bogey 8 on the par-4 18th and was in danger of missing the cut.

For the full leaderboard click here.

Belgian rookie Laura Gonzalez Escallon birdied three of the final four holes Thursday for a 7-under 65 and a share of the lead with Sei Young Kim in the Thornberry Creek LPGA Classic.

Gonzalez Escallon, the 26-year-old former Purdue player who won twice last season on the Symetra Tour, also started fast in the first-year event, making birdies on three of the first four holes.

“The greens are playing soft, so you can be very aggressive,” Gonzalez Escallon said. “I think that helps with low scoring. It’s a really good course. Every hole is different. … It’s new for everyone, so I think rookies can really take advantage of that.”

Kim had eight birdies and a bogey at Thornberry Creek, the Oneida Nation-owned resort near Green Bay. The South Korean player won the Lorena Ochoa Match Play in May in Mexico for her sixth LPGA Tour victory.

“My shot solid today, and greens were softer, so I was able to go after the pins and give myself a lot of birdie opportunities,” Kim said. “And then putting was good. … It’s been a long time since I played well in the first round, so I’m very blessed to have shot 7 under.”

Tour rookies Madeleine Sheils and Min-G Kim shot 66. Sheils birdied four of the last seven holes.

“Very steady,” the former Nebraska player said. “I hit just about every fairway and I think I might have hit every green for like the first time in my life, so that makes golf really easy, as it turns out.”

Fifth-ranked In Gee Chun and Moriya Jutanugarn topped the group at 67. Jutanugarn had seven birdies in an eight-hole stretch, then played the final eight in 2 over with bogeys on Nos. 11 and 17.

Suzann Pettersen had a 68.

“First time I saw it, I’m like, ‘Well, you’ve got to bring your diving gear because you’ve got to go deep around this place,”’ Pettersen said. “I mean, I just shot 4 under and feel like I shot 100. … The golf course is great. I think it’s great to see a golf course that kind of invites birdies and kind of low scores. I’m a little bit surprised nobody has torn it up more than 7 under because I felt like I played average and shot an easy 4 under.”

Jutangarn’s younger sister, second-ranked Ariya Jutanugarn, had a 78. The six-time LPGA Tour winner had a double bogey on the par-4 10th, five bogeys and one birdie.

Brooke Henderson, the 19-year-old from Smiths Falls, Ont., coming off a one-stroke loss to Danielle Kang on Sunday in the major KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at Olympia Fields in Illinois, opened with a 71.

Kang, top-ranked So Yeon Ryu, No. 3 Lexi Thompson and No. 4 Lydia Ko are among those taking the week off before the U.S. Women’s Open next week at Trump International in New Jersey.

“Last week took a lot out of me being in contention, especially in that last round,” Henderson said. “It drained a lot of energy, and I’m just trying to rebuild that this week. Take a little bit more rest and maybe not practice quite as much and rebuild my energy so that next week at the U.S. Open I can go strong and hopefully make it count.”

Hamilton’s Alena Sharp was the low Canadian, tied for fifth at 5-under 67. Samantha Richdale of Kelowna, B.C., was tied for 36th at 3-under 69. Augusta James of Bath, Ont., was tied with Henderson for 71st and Calgary’s Jennifer Ha was tied for 121st 2-over 74.

Danielle Kang birdied the final hole to win the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship on Sunday for her first LPGA Tour title, edging defending champion Brooke Henderson of Canada.

Kang bogeyed the tricky par-3 17th, and Henderson closed with two birdies to move into a tie for the lead, coming up just short on a 30-foot eagle putt on the par-5 18th. But Kang responded with two solid shots to get to the green in two, and then two-putted for the victory.

It was another great finish for the LPGA Tour’s second major of the season. The 19-year-old Henderson, from Smiths Falls, Ont., beat Lydia Ko in a playoff last year at Sahalee in Washington.

.@BrookeHenderson goes bogey-free to finish 2nd at the @KPMGWomensPGA! Watch highlights from her amazing round: pic.twitter.com/GKBaBd1fbE

— LPGA (@LPGA) July 2, 2017

The 24-year-old Kang trailed Henderson and Chella Choi by one after she bogeyed the par-4 10th at Olympia Fields. But she moved in front with four straight birdies on Nos. 11-14, getting hot with her putter at the right time.

Kang also had a clutch 21-foot par putt at 16 on her way to a 4-under 68 and the winner’s check of $525,000. Henderson closed with a 66 to finish a stroke back, and Chella Choi, who was tied with Kang for the lead coming into the day, was third at 10 under after a 71.

“She won it-I was just trying to make it close. 2nd in a major championship isn’t bad. I’m very happy” Brooke Henderson @KPMGWomensPGA pic.twitter.com/Cfz2q4j5K8

— LPGA (@LPGA) July 2, 2017

Kang’s previous best finish in a major was a tie for 14th in the 2012 U.S. Women’s Open.

Henderson made a strong bid for a second straight title in the event, jumping up the leaderboard three birdies in her first seven holes. But the Canadian had nine straight pars in the middle of the round.

Mi Hyang Lee (67), Amy Yang (68) and Sei Young Kim (68) tied for third at 9 under, and Lexi Thompson (69) and Inbee Park (68) were another two strokes back. Hamilton’s Alena Sharp (73) tied for 36th at even par.

Kang received some high-profile support as she tried for her first title since turning pro, hearing from Wayne Gretzky and Caitlyn Jenner _ friends from her days at Sherwood Country Club in California _ over the weekend. Four-time major winner Hollis Stacy also reached out, but it was some sage advice from brother Alex that set the tone for her breakout performance.

Feeling overwhelmed after her last practice round on the tree-lined course near Chicago, Kang called her brother to help formulate a game plan. Alex Kang, who plays on the Web.com Tour, told her to “just blast it down.”

Lights out. ?
Watch highlights from @daniellekang‘s incredible final round at the @KPMGWomensPGA! pic.twitter.com/WylvMVnTfi

— LPGA (@LPGA) July 2, 2017

Guided by that simple strategy, Kang posted four rounds in the 60s. The two-time U.S. Women’s Amateur champion had just five bogeys, with each of them coming in the final two rounds.

Thompson looked ready to make a charge, beginning with three birdies and no bogeys on her front nine. But she sputtered down the stretch.

Thompson contended for the first major title of the year, but was penalized for a controversial rules violation and lost to So Yeon Ryu in a playoff in the ANA Inspiration. The top-ranked Ryu shot a 72 in the final round at Olympia Fields and tied for 14th.

Click here for the full leaderboard.

When the wind picked up in the afternoon and the sun beat down on Olympia Fields, Chella Choi delivered a smart, steady performance.

The kind that wins major championships.

Choi shot a 4-under 67 on Saturday for a share of the lead with Danielle Kang heading into the final round of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. Kang birdied the par-5 18th to join Choi at 10 under, setting up a final pairing of two players looking for their first major title.

Kang had a 68, also birdieing the 18th.

Jiyai Shin rocketed up the leaderboard with a 64, the best round of the day and good enough for third all by herself at 8 under. Defending champion Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., was another stroke back after a 69.

Kang and Sei Young Kim were tied for the lead after the second round. While Kim stumbled to a 72, the 24-year-old Kang had five birdies and two bogeys.

She saved par with a perfect bunker shot on No. 12 and then birdied the par-4 14th to get to 10 under for the first time. She gave a shot back with just her second bogey of the tournament on 16, but recovered with another nice bunker shot to set up her closing birdie.

Hamilton’s Alena Sharp was eight strokes off the lead.

Kang on the U.S. Women’s Amateur in 2010 in 2011, but she has never won an LPGA Tour tournament.

“I’ve been working on my game every day to get better,” Kang said. “Like I said previously, all I could do is work on my game and hope that every day, just chip away at your game and it gets better every day and that’s where it’s getting at. Every year, I’ve just been performing better. I have trust in my own game.”

The 26-year-old Choi had four birdies and no bogeys. She credited her solid play to her father, Ji Yeon Choi, who is caddying for her again after her play suffered when he retired following her only LPGA Tour victory in the 2015 Marathon Classic.

“I played bad, so my mom tell to my dad, go help Chella, why are you staying here?” Chella Choi said.

Shin, a former world No. 1 and two-time major champion, took off after a birdie on No. 9. She played the back nine in 5-under 30 to grab the clubhouse lead while Kang and the leaders were out on the course.

It’s a rare U.S. tournament for Shin, the straight-hitting South Korean player who left the LPGA Tour a couple years ago and moved to Japan to be closer to her family.

“I think I’m pretty lucky because I started a little bit early in the morning,” she said. “I started early in the morning. That’s why easy to make a few birdies.”

For the full leaderboard click here

Danielle Kang won back-to-back majors as an amateur yet she’s never cracked the winner’s circle in her half-dozen years as a pro.

The 24-year-old Californian took a big step in the right direction, grabbing a share of the second-round lead in the morning wave Thursday at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. Her biggest hurdle could well be co-leader Sei Young Kim, the LPGA Tour’s 2015 Rookie of the Year and already a six-time winner on tour.

Kang and Kim each shot 5-under 66 to reach 7-under 135.

First-round leader Amy Yang (71), Chella Choi (70), Brittany Lincicome (66), Jodi Ewart Shadoff (66) and Mi Hyang Lee (67) were another stroke back.

So Yeon Ryu (68), who climbed to No. 1 in the world ranking after a victory last week and won the LPGA Tour’s first major of the season, was at 5 under, along with defending champion Brooke Henderson (69) of Smiths Falls, Ont., Moriya Jutanugarn (68) and Sarah Jane Smith (67).

Lydia Ko shot 68 to put herself back in contention at 4 under. Michelle Wie also was 4 under, following her opening 68 with a 70.

Hamilton’s Alena Sharp (71) was tied for 41st at even par.

Kang, the U.S. Women’s Amateur champion in 2010-11, conceded she didn’t have a game plan after her last practice round at Olympia Fields Country Club, one of several venues that previously hosted men’s majors now being tested by the women.

“I kind of was super-overwhelmed and didn’t know what to do,” she said. “So I called my brother, Alex, of course.”

Alex Kang, who plies his trade on the Web .com Tour, was familiar with Olympia Fields and its bunkers, and he gave her some simple advice.

“He goes, ‘Just blast it down,”’ she recalled. The plan worked as Kang, relying on her driver, hit 11 of 14 fairways and hasn’t made a bogey through 36 holes.

Kim carved her path up the leaderboard with a closing flourish, making three birdies in her last five holes. They came on the tougher front-nine side, though players caught a break as the swirling wind that made club selection dicey Thursday subsided in round two.

“Fortunately, when I tee off a little less windy,” Kim said, “so I was able to attack the pin.”

The KPMG kicks off a stretch of three majors in six weeks and Ryu could cement her new No. 1 status by adding a second major to the one she claimed in May by beating Lexi Thompson in a playoff at the ANA Inspiration. The LPGA Tour staged a brief celebration as she teed off Thursday, draping her caddie, Tom Watson, in a special green bib.

“The ceremony made me more nervous,” Ryu said. “No. 1, I thought it’s a lot of responsibility and it just gave me a lot of pressure. I finally got relaxed a bit more and just played as normal.”

Yang was on the 18th fairway a day earlier when play was suspended because of lightning. She returned just before 8 a.m. to complete her first round and made a birdie for a 65. Although she got to 7 under, she couldn’t hold it.

Kelly Shon, who opened with a 77, notched the low round of the tournament and tied a competitive course record with a 63. The former Princeton player made six birdies and an eagle without a bogey, placing her name in the Olympia Fields record book alongside Patty Sheehan and Meg Mallon and Rickie Fowler and Vijay Singh (who played the course with a par of 70).

“I wish I’d known I could have beat them all by one shot,” she said, adding quickly, “I’m just kidding.”

Shon knew something special was happening when she rolled in a 90-foot putt for eagle at No. 2.

“My caddie said to me, ‘I had a feeling you were going to make it. And I had a feeling if you made it, you were going to make the cut,”’ she recalled. “I don’t know if I believe in superstitions and stuff, but he’s 1-for-1.”

Among those missing the cut at 3 over were major champions Ariya Jutanugarn, the No. 2 ranked player in the world, and Anna Nordqvist.

For the full leaderboard click here.

Michelle Wie launched a 3-wood into swirling gusts and toward the 18th green, wondering if the shot had enough steam to get there. A shift in the wind took the guesswork out of the equation.

“It died down and I got a little surprise,” Wie said. “I got all the way there.”

The 215-yard shot rolled within 30 feet of the flag to set up a two-putt birdie and a 3-under 68 that left Wie two shots off the lead during the opening round Thursday in the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. She wasn’t the only long-hitter to benefit from windy conditions and a tough front nine at Olympia Fields Country Club.

Defending champion Brooke Henderson, from Smiths Falls, Ont., matched the 3-under start, which left her two back of Chella Choi and Amy Yang. Choi shot a 66 in the morning, and Yang was on the 18th hole at 5 under with a chance to grab the outright lead when play was suspended at 7:01 p.m. because of dangerous weather in the area.

Brittany Altomare shot a 67, and Joanna Klatten also was 4 under with two holes left.

Joining Henderson and Wie at 68 were Alison Lee and Su Oh. Kim Kaufman and Emily Pedersen also were 3 under late in their rounds.

“I was able to carry a couple of fairway bunkers, which is huge, because not a lot of players are able to do that,” Henderson said.

Cuteness from Canada! ???@BrookeHenderson #KPMGWomensPGA pic.twitter.com/Q3EJ6mm5xV

— LPGA (@LPGA) June 29, 2017

The second major on the women’s tour is again being played at the site of previous men’s majors, where big tee shots can pay big dividends. Henderson won her first major at Sahalee last year, and Wie claimed her only major – the 2014 U.S. Women’s Open – at Pinehurst.

Praise for Olympia Fields, a tree-lined classic layout just south of Chicago, is nearly unanimous. But it’s being tempered by players struggling to navigate the changing wind, with gusts up to 16 mph. Oh called that a “massive” factor in her decision-making.

Hamilton’s Alena Sharp was tied for 37th at even-par 71.

The second major on the women’s tour is again being played at the site of previous men’s majors, where big tee shots can pay big dividends. Henderson won her first major at Sahalee last year, and Wie claimed her only major _ the 2014 U.S. Women’s Open _ at Pinehurst.

Praise for Olympia Fields, a tree-lined classic layout just south of Chicago, is nearly unanimous. But it’s being tempered by players struggling to navigate the changing wind, with gusts up to 16 mph. Oh called that a “massive” factor in her decision-making.

“We kind of anticipated it,” she said. “It’s the ‘Windy City.’ But it was like this from the very beginning and I stayed patient out there.”

The Women’s PGA marks the start of a stretch of three majors in six weeks, which should provide some clarity at the top of the game.

So Yeon Ryu, who beat Lexi Thompson in a playoff at the ANA Inspiration to claim the season’s first major, also took over the No. 1 spot this week after becoming the only repeat winner through the first 16 tournaments on the LPGA Tour. Ryu finished at 69, and Thompson at 70. Two-time major winner Lydia Ko also shot 70.

Ariya Jutanugarn, who slipped to No. 2 in the rankings after Ryu’s win last week in Arkansas, struggled to a 77, and Cristie Kerr shot 78.

The forecast for Friday calls for rain and slightly increasing wind. That could make things tougher for both Choi and Henderson, whose caddies are, respectively, their father and older sister.

When Choi was asked whether she could blame any bad shots on her caddie’s calculations, she smiled and said, “Sometimes.”

She added: “My father missed a couple of shots today, but it happens because the wind is every time switching.”

Watch the top highlights from round 1 of the @KPMGWomensPGA right here:https://t.co/59PGuIUZ6c pic.twitter.com/IpT3cYCn1q

— LPGA (@LPGA) June 29, 2017

For the full leaderboard click here.

This time, So Yeon Ryu was able to celebrate – without any hint of drama or suspense.

And the third-ranked South Korean might just have used victory Sunday in the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship as a springboard for a possible rise to No. 1 in the world.

Ryu became the LPGA Tour’s first two-time winner this season, finishing at a tournament-record 18-under 195. She won the ANA Inspiration two months ago in California for her second major title, a controversial playoff victory after Lexi Thompson was penalized four strokes for a third-round rules violation reported by a television viewer during the fourth round.

“To be honest, after I won the ANA Inspiration, a lot of people said I maybe I didn’t deserve to win the tournament,” Ryu said. “It was understandable if someone was a big fan of Lexi … (Sunday’s win) feels a bit more free than after the ANA.”

Five strokes ahead after a course-record 10-uner 61 on Saturday, Ryu closed with a 69 for a two-shot victory over fellow South Korean player Amy Yang and Thailand’s Moriya Jutanugarn.

Yang finished with a 64, and Jutanugarn had a 66.

Local favourite Stacy Lewis (69) and Michelle Wie (64) tied for fourth at 13 under.

Ryu became the tour’s first repeat winner in the 16th event of the year, winning at Pinnacle Country Club four years after losing a playoff to Inbee Park in event.

“Hopefully, there are many more to come,” Ryu said before leaving for the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship in Illinois.

Ryu’s lead was at four shots midway through the final round, but it closed to two for a brief stretch on the back nine. Moments after Ryu fell to 17 under after missing the green on the par-3 11th en route to her lone bogey of the week, Yang gave the final round its first taste of suspense with a birdie on the 12th.

The birdie pushed Yang to 15 under, but she followed with bogeys on 13 and 14 _ and Ryu quickly extended her lead back to five shots with a birdie of her own on the par-4 12th. She also had a long par-saving up-and-down out of the bunker on the par-4 13th.

Despite the big lead to open the round, Ryu continued to play aggressively. She went at a difficult pin location on the par-3 sixth and on her third shot into the par-5 14th _ with the pin perilously close the front of the green and a steep slope leading into the water.

“I just tried not to do something special,” Ryu said. “Just better to be like me and play to win the tournament.”

Defending champion Lydia Ko set the previous tournament best of 17 under last year. The second-ranked New Zealander shot a 68 on Sunday to tie for 25th at 8 under.

Lewis began the day five shots back and in the final pairing with Ryu, but struggled for much of the day before closing with an eagle on the par-5 18th.

“So Yeon’s played great for a year now, so I’m not surprised,” Lewis said. “She did exactly what she needed to do today; made some good key par putts, especially there on the back side.”

Click herefor the full leaderboard.

A few weeks off was all So Yeon Ryu needed to kick-start what is shaping up to be possibly the best year of her LPGA Tour career.

The third-ranked South Korean star shot a course-record 10-under 61 on Saturday in the NW Arkansas Championship to take a five-stroke lead into the final round, putting in in great position to become the first repeat winner this year.

The ANA Inspiration winner in April for her second major title, she reached 16 under to break the tournament 36-hole record by two strokes. She had her lowest score on the LPGA Tour and matched her professional best set in the 2012 Australian Ladies Masters.

Ryu opened the year with eight straight top-10 finishes, including the major victory. She struggled in her two events after that run, finishing 56th and then missing the cut at the ShopRite LPGA Classic this month in New Jersey. Coming off a two-week break, she has returned to her early season form _ and then some.

“I played really well the beginning of this year, then I didn’t really play well at the last championship, kind of lost confidence a little bit,” Ryu said. “But I think it was great to have two weeks off, because when you have two weeks off you totally forget about how you played the last few tournaments.”

Local favourite Stacy Lewis and Moriya Jutanugarn were tied for second. They each shot 65.

“I think I go try to play a round like I have the last couple of days, really,” Lewis said. “That’s all I can do, and then hope for some help.”

First-round leader Sung Hyun Park followed her opening 63 with a 73 to drop into a tie for 10th at 6 under. Defending champion Lydia Ko was 5 under after a 67.

Hamilton’s Alena Sharp is the top Canadian. She shot a 75 and is 2 over.

A day after opening with a 65 in gusty afternoon conditions, Ryu preyed on the Pinnacle Country Club course on a calm Saturday morning.

She needed only 25 putts, posting a 30 on her opening nine holes before closing out the blistering round with three birdies on her final four holes. Ryu capped the round with an uphill 10-foot birdie putt on the par-4 nine, much to the delight of the gallery.

She also earned the praise of Ai Miyazato, the retiring Japanese star who finished a group ahead of Ryu and was nearby at the scorer’s tent as the South Korean walked off the course.

“Way to go, So Yeon,” Miyazato said. “You were on fire out there.”

The previous course record was 62, set by Angela Park and Jane Park in 2008 and matched last year by Ko and Ayako Uehara. Ko went on to win the tournament with a record score of 17 under.

Ko and Morgan Pressel held the previous 36-hole best at 14 under, set last year.

Ryu nearly won the tournament in 2013, losing playoff to Inbee Park.

She’s trying to win her fourth LPGA Tour title.

“I have a few good memories out here,” Ryu said. “Maybe losing in a playoff is not a good memory, but you know, close to a win. I think a lot of positive out there, so hopefully I can catch my opportunity tomorrow.”

For the full leaderboard click here.

Sung Hyun Park has said one of her goals this season on the LPGA Tour is to win the Rookie of the Year award.

The South Korean might add the title of “winner” to her resume well before any season-ending awards, particularly after opening the NW Arkansas Championship with an 8-under 63 on Friday.

Park finished with nine birdies on her way to nearly matching the course record of 62, needing only 24 putts to take a two-shot lead over Mel Reid, Ally McDonald and So Yeon Ryu.

“My play was best with the putter today, very good,” Park said.

Reid also reached as low as 8 under midway through her round, making a hole-in-one on the par-3 11th. She used a 9-iron on the 135-yard hole, hitting it just past the flag before it spun back and rolled into the hole.

“As soon as I hit it, I thought, ‘Oh, it’s got a chance,”’ Reid said.

Local favourite Stacy Lewis and 56-year-old Juli Inkster were at 66 along with Felicity Johnson, Moriya Jutanugarn, and Katherine Kirk. Defending champion and second-ranked Lydia Ko opened with a 70

The 34-year-old Park won seven times and was the top earner last year on the Korean LPGA tour, but she also played in seven LPGA Tour events with an eye on making the move to the U.S. She has finished in the top 10 four times this year, nine times in her 19 total LPGA Tour appearances.

All that is lacking to solidify her rapid rise into the ranks of the LPGA’s elite is a victory, possibly this weekend in advance of next week’s KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.

“I wasn’t really surprised to see how well (Park) is (playing),” fellow South Korean Ryu said. “Even last year, she played a few LPGA tournaments as a non-member, but she would finish top-five, top-10. I think she is a really great golfer, and it’s a matter of how comfortable she is on the tour.”

Park played in the humid and overcast conditions during the morning at Pinnacle Country Club, avoiding a 46-minute weather delay and gusty conditions during the afternoon.

She entered the tournament fourth in the LPGA Tour in driving distance, and she lived up to that Friday, booming 290-yard drives on the 7,001-yard course.

Ryu was the only player in the afternoon to come within two shots of Park’s morning round, capping her round by reaching the par-5 18th in two and two-putting for her sixth birdie and a bogey-free round.

“I had two weeks off and was really fresh to play,” Ryu said. “I think was everything was really smooth from start to end, and it feels really great to be back.”

Former world No. 1 Ai Miyazato shot a 72 in her first round in the U.S. after announcing last month that she plans to retire at the end of the season.

Michelle Wie opened with a 68.

Hamilton’s Alena Sharp is T37 at 2-under-par.

For the full leaderboard click here.

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Brooke Henderson made it a special Father’s Day.

With father and coach Dave Henderson and other family members watching, the 19-year-old Canadian won the Meijer LPGA Classic on Sunday for her fourth LPGA Tour title, holding off Michelle Wie and Lexi Thompson by two strokes in cool, windy conditions.

“It was just like the perfect day,” the Smiths Falls, Ont., native said. “My dad is my coach, he’s a great father to both my sister (caddie Brittany) and I, and he’s one of our best friends. He’s with us all the time, and he gave me a lot of lines early in the week that I didn’t know, that I wouldn’t normally take without him there. But he said, ‘If you want to win and you want to contend, you need to take these lines off the tee.’

“I did that and I had an advantage over the rest of the field all four days. So this win, I say it’s for him, but it really is for him because I probably wouldn’t have done it without him.”

.@BrookeHenderson grabs her 4th LPGA Victory at the 2017 @MeijerLPGA! A great way to celebrate Father’s Day! ❤️ pic.twitter.com/U6smMxg2rR

— LPGA (@LPGA) June 18, 2017

Henderson closed with a 66 on the Blythefield layout that was reduced to a par of 69 – the fifth hole was played as a par 3 instead of a par 5 – the final two rounds because of flooding.

Wie finished with a 65, and Thompson had a 69.

Henderson finished at 17-under 263 and earned $300,000. She led after each of the first two rounds, shooting 63-67 at a par of 71, and had a 67 on Saturday to drop a stroke behind Thompson.

Henderson won twice last year, taking the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship for her first major, and successfully defending her title in the Cambia Portland Classic.

But she hadn’t won an LPGA tournament since, a winless drought that spanned nearly a year before breaking it Sunday.

“It’s kind of been a little bit tougher season for me, I haven’t got the results that I’ve been really looking for,” Henderson said. “But this week I played really well and things kind of started to turn around for me. So to get my fourth win is super exciting and I’m just excited for the rest of the summer now.”

Henderson had three birdies in a bogey-free round. She birdied Nos. 7 and 8, while Thompson faltered.

“I missed a short one on 10, which I would have liked to have, but then I made a great birdie on No. 11,” Henderson said. “I had zero bogeys on a day like today where it was super windy. And any day on Sunday, there’s that little bit of extra pressure and you’re in contention so you want to play really well so you might push a few more shots than you would like.”

Thompson was 1 over on the first five holes with two bogeys.

Thompson hit one of the longest drives of the day on No. 9, put her approach shot within 20 feet and made the birdie putt to tie for the lead. But she bogeyed No. 10 to fall out of the lead.

“I hit my driver great the whole day, so that was definitely a positive,” Thompson said. “I didn’t roll the putter that well today. It is what it is. I hit two great last putts. I almost made the two long ones.”

Wie shared the lead early in the round and wound up with five birdies and no bogeys.

“It was tough out there,” Wie said. “The wind just started blowing and it was just interesting. Some spots are really wet, some spots are dry, but overall I felt like I played good this week and I’m happy about it.”

Su Oh (64), Madelene Sagstrom (65) and Moriya Jutanugarn (66) tied for fourth at 14 under.

Second-ranked Lydia Ko had a 68 to tie for 10th at 12-under. Top-ranked Ariya Jutanugarn, coming off a playoff victory last week in Canada over Thompson and In Gee Chun, had a 69 to for 22nd at 9 under.

Henderson said she’ll be taking the next week off after playing in a charity event Monday in Rhode Island. Her next tournament will be KPMG PGA Championship, where she’ll look to defend her title from last season.

“It’s really exciting and it gives me a lot of confidence going into that tournament knowing that I’m coming off a win,” she said. “Hopefully I can go there to Olympia Fields and defend the championship that really defined my career last year.”

Henderson is the 15th different winner on the LPGA Tour in 2017 and the first from Canada. She is the youngest winner on the LPGA Tour in 2017 and the youngest since her last victory.

.@BrookeHenderson goes bogey-free on her final round to win the @MeijerLPGA! See how she was Up To The Challenge in these highlights: pic.twitter.com/nON4CmRGrw

— LPGA (@LPGA) June 18, 2017