Mi Jung Hur shoots 63 to take LPGA Tour lead in Indy

Mi Jung Hur shot a 9-under 63 on Thursday to take the first-round lead in the Indy Women in Tech Championship.

Hur had a bogey-free round at Brickyard Crossing, the layout that features four holes inside the Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval.

"I was trying to keep on being present," Hur said. "That's the key to play good today. ... If you think about the future, mess up everything. It's really hard to do it, but that's my goal for the whole year."

Mi Jung Hur, of South Korea, walks down the sixth fairway during the first round of the Indy Women in Tech Championship golf tournament, Thursday, Sept. 26, 2019, in Indianapolis. (AP PhotoDarron Cummings)

The South Korean player won the Ladies Scottish Open last month for her third LPGA Tour victory.

"I got a lot of confidence and playing like a bit more comfy," Hur said. "My long game gets better and putting doing well, everything doing well, so had a good year so far."

England's Bronte Law, coming off Europe's victory over the United States in the Solheim Cup, was two strokes back with Denmark's Nanna Koerstz Madsen and Japan's Sakura Yokomine.

Bronte Law, of England, looks at a putt on the sixth green during the first round of the Indy Women in Tech Championship golf tournament, Thursday, Sept. 26, 2019, in Indianapolis. (AP PhotoDarron Cummings)

"I think just obviously playing in the intensity for a week, and obviously there was so much good golf that went on, just kind of riding off the back of that," Law said. "It doesn't really surprise me to see that."

Yokomine had five straight birdies on her front nine.

"This week, just kind of start with like no thinking," Yokomine said through a translator. "Was thinking like too much about mechanics."

Nanna Koerstz Madsen, of Denmark, watches her tee shot on the seventh hole during the first round of the Indy Women in Tech Championship golf tournament, Thursday, Sept. 26, 2019, in Indianapolis. (AP PhotoDarron Cummings)

Marina Alex topped the nine U.S. Solheim Cup players in the field with a 66. She eagled the par-5 14th.

"It's fun, it's a good golf course," Alex said. "There's some good little short holes, par 5s are accessible, greens roll really nice. Scorable, but also if you get on the wrong side of things, it can be tricky, too. I think it's pretty fair."

Amy Olson and Pornanong Phatlum also shot 66. Ally McDonald followed at 67 with Lauren Stephenson, Jodi Ewart Shadoff, Mirim Lee and Chella Choi. Defending champion Sung Hyun Park opened with a 70.

Sung Hyun Park, of South Korea, watches her tee shot on the seventh hole during the first round of the Indy Women in Tech Championship golf tournament, Thursday, Sept. 26, 2019, in Indianapolis. (AP PhotoDarron Cummings)

Lexi Thompson, winless at the Solheim Cup, had a 76. The winner of the inaugural event in 2017, she had a double bogey and two bogeys in the birdie-free round.

Brooke Henderson, of Canada, hits to the 14th green during the first round of the Indy Women in Tech Championship golf tournament, Thursday, Sept. 26, 2019, in Indianapolis. (AP PhotoDarron Cummings)

Lexi Thompson hits out of a bunker on the 18th hole during the first round of the Indy Women in Tech Championship golf tournament, Thursday, Sept. 26, 2019, in Indianapolis. (AP PhotoDarron Cummings)

Sakura Yokomine, of Japan, watches her tee shot on the 15th hole during the first round of the Indy Women in Tech Championship golf tournament, Thursday, Sept. 26, 2019, in Indianapolis. (AP PhotoDarron Cummings)

Charley Hull, of England, hits to the 14th green during the first round of the Indy Women in Tech Championship golf tournament, Thursday, Sept. 26, 2019, in Indianapolis. (AP PhotoDarron Cummings)

Jin Young Ko had five back-nine birdies in a 7-under 64 at demanding Wilshire Country Club for a share of the second-round lead Friday with Nasa Hataoka in the DIO Implant LA Open.

Five strokes behind first-round leader Alison Lee after a 71, the top-ranked Ko moved into position for her second victory of the season in the first of two straight LPGA Tour events in the Los Angeles area.

“My putting was so good today,” Ko said. “I wasn’t expecting to play really well today because in the afternoon it’s always hard to play this course. But my putting was good, so I’m happy with it.”

Jin Young Ko waves to fans after sinking a putt on the first green during the second round of LPGA's DIO Implant LA Open golf tournament at Wilshire Country Club on Friday, April 22, 2022, in Los Angeles. (AP PhotoAshley Landis)

Hataoka birdied her final three holes for a 68 to match Ko at 7 under. Eighteen players were unable to finish the round because of darkness.

After dropping a stroke on the par-4 ninth, Ko birdied Nos. 11-14 and added her eighth birdie of the day on the par-4 17th.

“I didn’t think I played 5 under on the back nine,” Ko said. “I didn’t know that. I was in the zone.”

Jin Young Ko tees off at the second tee during the second round of LPGA's DIO Implant LA Open golf tournament at Wilshire Country Club on Friday, April 22, 2022, in Los Angeles. (AP PhotoAshley Landis)

The 26-year-old South Korean star won in Singapore early last month for her 13th LPGA Tour title. She won five times last year.

“I have two more rounds and nobody knows how it goes,” Ko said. “So working hard and focus on it and go get it”

Hataoka had seven birdies and four bogeys. The 23-year-old from Japan has five LPGA Tour victories, winning twice last season.

Nasa Hataoka tees off at the 17th tee during the second round of LPGA's DIO Implant LA Open golf tournament at Wilshire Country Club on Friday, April 22, 2022, in Los Angeles. (AP PhotoAshley Landis)

“The wind was pretty strong,” Hayaoka said. “The greens are pretty tight, narrow. So my plan was to hit the green, not try to be too aggressive. On the back nine, the wind kind of got weaker, so I was able to hit at the pin.”

Hannah Green was third at 5 under after a bogey-free 67. The Australian won her two LPGA Tour titles in 2019.

“I’m very pleased,” Green said. “I guess today’s round kind of felt like even more under par than what it was. I was pretty solid with my putting all day today which was nice because yesterday I had a couple three-putts.”

Nasa Hataoka, right, fist bumps her caddie, after sinking a shot on the 17th green during the second round of LPGA's DIO Implant LA Open golf tournament at Wilshire Country Club on Friday, April 22, 2022, in Los Angeles. (AP PhotoAshley Landis)

Fellow Australian Minjee Lee, the 2019 winner, had a 68 to match Haeji Kang (69) at 4 under. Inbee Park (67) topped the group at 3 under.

“You’ve got to really be careful how you play the holes — and you can’t get too greedy,” Park said. “Even though the course is short, it’s just really tough.”

Lee was 2 under, following her opening 66 with a 74.

Maddie Szeryk hits from the sand on to the first green during the second round of LPGA's DIO Implant LA Open golf tournament at Wilshire Country Club on Friday, April 22, 2022, in Los Angeles. (AP PhotoAshley Landis)

Defending champion Brooke Henderson, playing alongside Ko, shot 76-72 to miss the cut.

The Palos Verdes Championship is next week.

Inbee Park tees off at the fifth tee during the second round of LPGA's DIO Implant LA Open golf tournament at Wilshire Country Club on Friday, April 22, 2022, in Los Angeles. (AP PhotoAshley Landis)