Hamilton’s Alena Sharp has a real shot midway through Women’s PGA Championship

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This article was published 25/06/2021 (1878 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Alena Sharp has never been in this position before at a major, but she’s ready to embrace it.

The native of Hamilton, Ont. was tied for third after two rounds of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship in Atlanta, the third major tournament of the year on the LPGA Tour schedule, after shooting a 4-under 68 on Friday.

She’ll be in the second-last group Saturday, four shots behind leader Nelly Korda.

“All the hard work I’ve been doing is paying off, so I’m looking forward to it,” Sharp said after her round.

Korda, ranked third in the world, led 11-under and tied the Women’s PGA record with a 9-under 63.

Sharp made five birdies in her second round and recorded just one bogey. She had three straight circles on the scorecard on the front nine after birdies on holes four through six to inch up the leaderboard. The Canadian started on the back nine.

“It was nice to get those (birdies) coming in,” said Sharp. “I stayed patient all day.”

The 40-year-old has never won on the LPGA Tour, and her best finish at a major is a tie for 17th at the 2019 ANA Inspiration. Sharp credited her coach — and a “hardcore” putting practice session, she said Thursday — for her success this week. That plus a new mental approach has led to one of the best results of her career through 36 holes.

She was able to lean on her wife (and caddy) Sarah Bowman for a confidence boost all day.

“I was definitely amped up to start. Just not being in this position in a long time and not teeing off until (late in the day), that didn’t help. But I ran this morning and had a good night’s sleep,” said Sharp. “I just talked a lot to Sarah out there. I made a birdie early and that calmed me down a bit.”

Sharp teed off later in the day and saw the low scores put up by Korda and Céline Boutier (she shot an 8-under 64), but said she just tried to play her own game.

“At the start I saw some low scores, but that wasn’t my main focus. I was just trying to be present,” said Sharp. “I just did my own thing because I just have to stay on my own path.”

Sharp’s fine play comes just a week after fellow Canadian Mackenzie Hughes played his way into the final group on Sunday at the U.S. Open.

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Sharp and Brooke Henderson were the only Canadians in the field at Atlanta Athletic Club, and they both play on the weekend. Henderson bounced back after an opening 74 to shoot a 2-under 70 on Friday. At even par through 36 holes, she made the cut by two shots.

The native of Smiths Falls, Ont. had a solid day save for one hole: four birdies offset by a double bogey on the par-4 11th.

Korda, up by one over 18-hole leader Lizette Salas, is playing the best of anyone on tour right now. She won last week at the Meijer LPGA Classic, shooting 25-under for the week including a third-round 62.

“It’s nice when you’re on top of your game,” said Korda, “and everything is going well.”

Adam Stanley is an Ottawa-based contributor to the Star’s Sports section and the host of golf podcast Next Round’s On Me. Follow him on Twitter: @adam_stanley