NORTON, Mass. — Megan Khang wore a brilliant fuschia quarter-zip and a white visor that made her straightforward to identify from wherever. The massive crowds following her round TPC Boston had been a fairly sturdy giveaway, too.
Khang headlined a trio of native golf stars, who drew giant crowds Friday morning within the second spherical of the inaugural FM Championship at TPC Boston in Norton, Mass. The Brockton, Mass., native starred in one in all three consecutive groupings that includes native abilities, sandwiched between Alison Walshe of Westford and Foxboro native Alexa Pano.
Khang unsurprisingly fared the perfect of the three, capturing an up-and-down 1-under 71.
The No. 21-ranked participant within the Rolex Rankings began on the again 9, erasing a bogey on the opening tenth to play the subsequent seven holes at 4-under. She gave one again on the par-5 18th and struggled on the third and fourth with bogey and double bogey, respectively. She turned issues on down the stretch, with birdies on her closing two holes to get in the home at 3-under.
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The native trio gave the hometown followers one thing to cheer about on the thrilling stretch of holes between the fifteenth and seventeenth. Walshe began it off by chipping in for birdie from in entrance of the inexperienced, and Khang adopted with a birdie of her personal within the subsequent group by throwing a dart from the golf green.
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Pano additionally went pin-seeking within the third grouping however missed her birdie putt.
Walshe and Pano did not fairly have the success Khang loved over the primary two days. The previous at 39 was making her first LPGA begin in years as a sponsor’s invite. After a troublesome 80 within the first spherical, she was a lot better Friday. She went out at even par however a triple bogey on her thirteenth gap blew up her day en path to a 75. Pano, in the meantime, will want some assist attending to the weekend after ending at 3-over, one shot off the projected 2-over reduce.
Khang, although, stays New England’s hope for a hometown title, and he or she thinks being in entrance of pleasant faces may make a distinction.
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“It should be loads of enjoyable,” she mentioned in her post-round press convention. “I’ve loads of household popping out. It is actually cool having the group behind you. I believe they noticed I used to be slightly annoyed as properly, however these little type of pick-me-ups all through, going to the subsequent tee, type of helped preserve me in a optimistic mindset.”
What makes Khang’s efficiency much more spectacular by means of two rounds is how she has needed to deal with the expectations and tasks that include taking part in a event near house. She will not be solely underneath the FM umbrella, however Khang has additionally been referred to as on to signify the tour at quite a few occasions this week. That she’s been ready to do this whereas nonetheless taking part in high-level golf impresses one of many all-time greats.
“It isn’t a straightforward process to signify the corporate in addition to type of be the host. She has dealt with it magnificently,” six-time main champion Pat Bradley advised NESN.com whereas following Khang’s group on No. 1. “She’s straightforward going, she’s a jokester, and he or she’s having enjoyable with it. She is aware of when to show it on and when to show it off and focus.
” … She has performed a superb job. She’s straightforward to love, and he or she’s straightforward to look at.”
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If Thursday and Friday had been any indication, there can be no scarcity of native golf followers leaning that this weekend.
