Home hope Alena Sharp posted her second straight 66 on Friday to join Lexi Thompson and Kim Hyo-Joo in a three-way tie for the lead at the LPGA ManuLife Classic in Canada.
Sharp, whose hometown of Hamilton is just 45 minutes from Whistle Bear in Cambridge, Ontario, bounced back from an early double-bogey with six birdies and an eagle in a six-under effort that took her to 12-under 132.
South Korea’s Kim posted a 67 and Lexi Thompson fired a seven-under 65 to join the leading trio on a day when France’s Perrine Delacour lit-up Whistle Bear with a 10-under par 62.
That put Delacour one off the pace on 133, alongside American Lindy Duncan (65), and South Korean Chun In-Gee (66).
While Sharp says she enjoys the week playing in front of family and friends, her day was not without difficulties.
She called a penalty on herself at the par-five third, leading to a double bogey.
I had to call the rules official, because when I addressed my chip shot on number three, the ball moved,” she said. A rules official judged that it was likely she caused the ball to move.
“Just a funny rule, but it’s the rules of golf and I didn’t want to just let that go,” Sharp said. “I needed to call it on myself because I was going to be thinking about it all day.”
“I thought I did the right thing. Went out and birdied the next hole and really just forgot about it. Just kept playing the way I was,” added Sharp, who also eagled the par-five ninth before picking up four birdies on the back nine.
Thompson, trying to become the first two-time winner on the LPGA Tour this year, said Whistle Bear suits her game.
She picked up five of her seven birdies on the back nine, including four in a row from the 11th through 14th.
“I’m playing very well so far,” she said. “Overall just having fun on the golf course, staying very relaxed, and focusing on doing my routine.”
Kim also had seven birdies and even with two bogeys, it was enough to put her in the leading trio.
In addition to Delacour’s sparkling round, which included 10 birdies without a bogey, Duncan put on a show en route to her 65.
Duncan was seven-under on the front nine and 10-under through 13, but finished with a double-bogey and bogey on her last two holes.
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