Can Patty Tavatanakit Defend Her Chevron Championship Title?

Adam Stanley asks five questions from the second round of the Chevron, the first LPGA Tour major championship of the year.

Two rounds are in the books at the Chevron Championship – the final time this event will be played at the Dinah Shore course at Mission Hills Country Club after 50 years – and Hinako Shibuno leads by one after rounds of 69-66.

Shibuno won the AIG Women’s Open in her LPGA Tour debut in 2019. She made seven birdies on Friday and leads a trio of golfers by one.

As we head into the weekend at the first major of the year, here are five burning questions:

Can Patty Tavatanakit go back-to-back?

It hasn’t happened in 20 years, but Tavatanakit is now in a prime position to defend her title at Mission Hills. Annika Sorenstam won this championship in 2001 and 2002.

Tavatanakit, who captured last year’s major by two shots for her maiden LPGA Tour title, sits at 8-under through 36 holes and is part of a three-way tie for second, just one shot back of Shibuno.

The youngster, who won LPGA Tour Rookie of the Year honors in 2021, said she feels a sense of calm at Mission Hills, and that Zen-like vibe has left her in a great spot heading into the weekend.

How important was that turnaround from Jin Young Ko?

Ko was in the midst of a record-setting scoring effort over the last few tournaments, but she struggled on Thursday in Rancho Mirage.

Ko, who won her first tournament of the year at the HSBC Women’s World Championship, had shot 34 rounds in a row under par before the first round of the Chevron Championship. She shot a 2-over-par 74 Thursday – her first over-par score since last July.

“I couldn’t see the break as much or speed, everything was wrong (on the greens),” said Ko of the 34 putts she needed on Thursday. “I don’t know what happened.”

But Ko reversed course in a big way on Friday. The world No. 1 shot a 4-under 68, despite a bogey on her closing hole, and heads into the weekend at 2 under for the championship.

Can Jennifer Kupcho finally break through?

It’s the three-year anniversary of Kupcho’s magical win at the inaugural Augusta National Women’s Amateur, and now she’s trying to find the winner’s circle on the LPGA Tour for the first time – on the same weekend as the celebrated amateur event in Georgia.

Kupcho is part of that three-way tie for second and sits just one back of the lead through 36 holes. She’s looking for her first LPGA Tour title, but seemingly has done everything else in the game.

She has two runner-up results, 11 top-10 finishes, and was part of the U.S. team at the Solheim Cup in 2019.

Can Lexi Thompson get back to the winner’s circle?

One of the biggest names in all of golf hasn’t won on the LPGA Tour since 2019. But Thompson has a chance to break that drought this weekend at Mission Hills.

Thompson, who won this major in 2014 and has finished outside the top 10 just twice in the last eight years (including a third and fourth-place result in 2019 and 2020), is 5-under through 36 holes and four back.

Can Annie Park pull it off?

Park played by herself for the last two days and she says it’s done wonders for her game.

Park, who was the 115th and final golfer to earn a spot in the field at the Chevron Championship, shot rounds of 69-67 (both times she declined playing with a marker) and is tied for second with Tavatanakit and Kupcho.

Her 8-under total is her best-ever score through 36 holes at a major.

Park said she is also using a new putter and driver last week and that’s been part of her success so far. She nearly walked away from golf during the COVID-19 pandemic and took a two-month break last season.

“Going back to what I said (on Thursday) I’m just having fun out there. I think that’s kind of the biggest key, and it’s been a while that I’ve had a great time on the golf course,” she said.