Haeran Ryu of South Korea put on a dominant performance at the inaugural FM Championship, shooting a career-best 10-under-par 62 on Friday at TPC Boston in Norton, Massachusetts. This stellar round propelled her to the top of the leaderboard, leaving her at a commanding 13-under 131 after two rounds.
Ryu’s round was a masterpiece of precision and consistency. She notched an impressive 10 birdies, hitting all 18 greens in regulation and requiring just 26 putts. Her performance was a testament to her exceptional putting and approach shots.
“Just an amazing day because my shots, everything next to the hole and my putt, everything get in the hole,” Ryu said, highlighting the ease with which she was sinking her shots.
Ryu’s momentum built throughout the round. After four consecutive birdies at holes 4-7, she reached 7 under for the tournament. She continued her impressive run with birdies at holes 10 and 12 before stringing together another four consecutive birdies starting at hole 14.
Despite her success, Ryu remained grounded and focused on her upcoming rounds. “Today shots really good, but we have two more rounds, so I just want to try to more accurate for my iron and keep (finding the) fairway for my driver,” she said, highlighting her determination to maintain her performance.
Following closely behind Ryu are Bianca Pagdanganan of Thailand, Robyn Choi of Australia, and Yealimi Noh, all tied for second place at 7 under. Pagdanganan, who had the best round of the afternoon wave, achieved six birdies within her first ten holes. Her round included a memorable moment on the par-5 18th hole, where her drive missed the fairway and landed directly on the arm of a course official.
“I’ve accidently hit people on the golf course before but never had it land on anyone’s arm,” Pagdanganan said humorously, adding, “I just told everyone that’s what my caddie told me to do, hit it in her right arm. I just follow orders. That’s all I do.”
Noh, meanwhile, secured four birdies during her bogey-free round of 68, while Choi carded six birdies with two bogeys.
Former World No. 1 Jin Young Ko of South Korea moved into a tie for fifth at 6 under alongside Lauren Coughlin. Norway’s Celine Borge and Thailand’s Jeeno Thitikul are tied at 5 under.
The first-round leader, Marina Alex, posted an even-par 72 after an opening round of 68, maintaining her position at 4 under. Jennifer Kupcho and Rose Zhang, both members of the U.S. Solheim Cup team, are projected to make the 36-hole cut.
Notable players who will miss the cut include Celine Boutier of France and Yuka Saso of Japan.
