Angel Yin carries a two-shot lead into the weekend at the CME Group Tour Championship after posting a 3-under-par 69 on Friday in Naples, Fla.
A $4 million first prize is on the line at the LPGA’s season finale at Tiburon Golf Club, where 60 players qualified based on the season-long Race to the CME Globe.
Yin opened with a 65 Thursday and now sits comfortably at 10 under par, with South Korea natives Hye-Jin Choi and Narin An tied for second at 8 under. An, the first-round leader, settled for an even-par 72 while Choi shot her second straight 68.
“I think I have a really loud crowd that’s always cheering me on,” Yin said. “Even if I feel down they’re going to pick me up. That’s always very good. Grateful for that. And then that I’m playing good too. Even though I’m not hitting it the best I want to, I was hitting it better three weeks ago. But if I can play well like this and if I hit it any a little bit better it’s going to be better.”
Yin’s six birdies Friday counteracted three bogeys, and she’s one of only four golfers in the field to shoot sub-70 rounds on both days so far.
The Los Angeles native has won just once on the LPGA Tour before. A breakthrough at the Tour Championship would be the biggest moment of her career. On Thursday Yin said the event “doesn’t have a title of a major” but is just as difficult as one.
