After shooting a 7-under 63 on Thursday, Emily Kristine Pedersen followed it up with a 5-under 65 on Friday at The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican, taking a two-shot lead into the weekend in Belleair, Fla.
Coming from Denmark, Pedersen made birdies on Nos. 10 and 11, bringing her to 9-under early, and then moved to 10-under with another birdie on the par-5 14th hole. She continued with two more birdies on Nos. 16 and 18, turning in 30. A birdie on the par-4 1st hole put her at 13-under with eight holes to go.
Although she dropped a shot on No. 3, Pedersen quickly recovered with a birdie on the par-4 5th hole. She stumbled again with a bogey on the sixth hole, but regained momentum with a birdie on the seventh, finishing her second round with 65 and breaking the 36-hole scoring record at The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican.
This is the first time in her career that Pedersen has held a 36-hole lead on the LPGA Tour. Her two-day total of 128 is her new career-low 36-hole score, beating her previous benchmark by six shots. It’s also just the third time that she has shot a round of 65 or better on Tour.
Despite a couple of shots she’d like to redo, Pedersen was pleased with her performance and looks forward to maintaining her strong play for the rest of the tournament at Pelican Golf Club.
Notably, Pedersen’s solid showing at the Solheim Cup in Spain has helped boost her confidence, and it is reflected in her recent performances on the tour.
Currently ranked 80th in the Race to the CME Globe point standings, a strong finish at Pelican Golf Club could raise Pedersen to 36th in the standings. Her goal is to focus on playing good golf each day, a strategy stemming from past experiences where she has looked ahead and not performed well.
Another great day for @emilypedersen96 and she leads @theANNIKAlpga at -12 after the morning wave.
No. 80 in the #RacetoCMEGlobe, Pedersen has a chance to play next week if she keeps taking it swing by swing 💪 pic.twitter.com/Erb8ZMTEJe
— LPGA (@LPGA) November 10, 2023
Daniel Miller takes readers to the greens with his passion for golf. He offers coverage of major golf tournaments, player achievements, and insights into the sport’s rich history, making him a trusted source for golf enthusiasts.
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