Youmin Hwang shoots 10-under 62 to grab LOTTE Championship lead

  HONOLULU: Youmin Hwang played in the final group off the first tee Thursday in the second round of the LOTTE Championship. She’ll do it again Friday after shooting a 10-under 62, the best round in the four years the tournament has been played at Hoakalei Country Club.

Hwang opened eagle-birdie, dropped a stroke on the fourth and had eight more birdies to get to 15-under 129 and open a three-stroke lead with two rounds left. Playing on a sponsor invitation, the 22-year-old South Korean player has two victories on the Korean LPGA.

“First of all, I broke my life-best score,” Hwang said. “At the same time, I broke the course record, so I feel very good.”

Hwang matched the tournament record of 62 set by Lizette Salas in the 2013 final round and Cristie Kerr in the 2017 third round, both at Ko Olina Golf Course.

“I feel very different about the course, first, especially the grass type,” Hwang said. “It’s very different to Korea and play in Korea LPGA.”

First-round leader Akie Iwai of Japan followed her opening 64 with a 68 in the afternoon session to join American Jessica Porvasnik (65) at 12 under.

“Feel like little difference, specific on the green,” Iwai said. “Getting hard to see the line.”

Porvasnik played in the first group of the day of the first tee. She’s a 30-year-old LPGA Tour rookie after finishing fourth last year in the Epson Tour standings.

“I just hit a lot of fairways, a lot of greens, gave myself a lot of great looks, and made a few of those,” said Porvasnik, a former Ohio State player.

Iwai played in a group with twin sister Chizato, who was 8 under after a 66. The 23-year-old Japanese sisters have each won this year as tour rookies. Chizato broke through at Mayakoba in Mexico in May, and Akie