The China Mail - Zhang, Kim, Yin and Ciganda share lead at LPGA Match Play

A revamped format for this year's event at Shadow Creek in Las Vegas features three rounds of stroke play with the top eight advancing to weekend match play.

Ciganda fired a bogey-free five-under par 67 to seize a share of the lead with Yin, who shot 68; Zhang, who fired a 73, and day one leader Kim, who fired a 74.

"I've been hitting lots of greens and that's key in Shadow Creek," Ciganda said. "If you can hit fairways and greens and avoid those bogeys, those mistakes, I think it's big. And my putting was working. I made some good putts, five birdies, no bogeys so very happy."

Ireland's Leona Maguire and Japan's Minami Katsu each fired 69 to share fifth on 141 while Japan's Yuka Saso and England's Jodi Ewart Shadoff were on 143.

Together, they were the eight players set to compete in the match play quarter-finals on Saturday, although a host of rivals hoped to overtake them Friday for a place in the weekend.

"Tomorrow is going to be really tough," Yin said. "I almost think it's tougher than the match play itself. Only eight people get to go on and you could be out there playing in a playoff with 10 people."

Leading those trying to break into the top eight in Friday's last stroke-play round were Canada's Brooke Henderson, Sweden's Maja Stark, South Korea's An Na-rin and Stephanie Meadow of Northern Ireland on 144.

World number one Nelly Korda, seeking a fourth consecutive victory, and France's third-ranked Celine Boutier, were in a pack on 146 in a share of 20th.

Yin stumbled late with a bogey at 15 but answered with birdies at the par-5 16th and 18th to claim her share of the lead.

"Putting really worked," Yin said. "I'm playing really well. Just need to stick to my game plan and see how far it takes me."

Zhang, who played in the afternoon with brisk winds, owned a two-stroke lead but closed with back-to-back bogeys to bring her down into a pack.

"I knew today was going to be a grind and it proved to be," Zhang said. "I've played in difficult conditions before, but this definitely was up there in terms of difficulty."

Zhang, 20, won her pro debut last June at the LPGA Americas Open, the first player to win her pro debut at an LPGA event since Beverly Hanson in 1951.

Kim made her only birdies of the day on the closing two holes to lift herself into a share of the lead.

"It was a very tough day," Kim said. "I'm very happy it was just 2-over."

Kim, ranked 39th, has won 12 LPGA titles but none since the November 2020 Pelican Championship, which came a month after her lone major win at the Women's PGA Championship.

X.Gu--ThChM