One of seven former USC players in the field at the scenic course overlooking the Pacific Ocean, the 24-year-old Nam — from Hawaii — played more than 100 rounds on the layout during her time with the Trojans.
“I’ve seen every single inch of this golf course, good and bad,” Nam said. “It’s funny, because in college I never really played well here. This is actually the first time that I think I shot consecutively under par, so I’m a bit surprised myself.”
Playing in the final group of the day to tee off on No. 10, Nam pulled even with defending champion Ruoning Yin and Madelene Sagstrom with a birdie on the par-three sixth and took the lead with a birdie on the par-five seventh. She parred the final two holes to finish at eight-under 134.
“It’s definitely a pretty surreal feeling seeing my name on the top of the leaderboard, especially with all the best players in the world.” Nam said. “I always knew that I can play out here, but I didn’t expect it to be so quick to see my name up on the top of the leaderboard.”
Nam rebounded after struggling in the middle of the round. She had a double bogey on the par-four 15th and a bogey on the par-four first. In late January in Florida, she tied for 57th in her LPGA Tour debut at the LPGA Drive On Championship.
Yin closed eagle-birdie-birdie for a 65. The 21-year-old Chinese player began the spree with a 5-iron to 6 feet for the eagle on No. 7 and ran in a 45-footer on the par-four eighth. Ranked fourth in the world, Yin followed her breakthrough LPGA Tour win last year at Palos Verdes with a major victory at the KMPG Women’s PGA.
Sagstrom had three late birdies in the afternoon session. The 31-year-old Swede birdied the par-five 14th and 16th and reached 7 under with a birdie on the par-three 17th. She won the 2020 Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Rio for her lone tour title.
Rose Zhang (68), Leona Maguire (65) and former UCLA player Alison Lee (70) were six under. The 20-year-old Zhang won the Mizuho Americas Open last year in her first professional start. Lee had a birdie-birdie-eagle run on Nos. 14-16 for a share of the lead, then dropped back with a bogey on 17.
Linn Grant (68) and Lauren Hartlage (71) were five under.
Second-ranked Nelly Korda had a late double bogey in a 67 that left her three under. She won the LPGA Drive On Championship in January in her last event.
First-round leader Maude-Aimee Leblanc followed her opening 64 with a 79 to make the cut on the number at one over. The only player in the field with a bogey-free opening round, the Canadian had nine bogeys in the second.
Seri Pak is the tournament host for the first time. Pak is one of the most influential players in LPGA history, a pioneer for South Korean players to follow her path.
PGA Valspar Championship
PALM HARBOR, Fla. — Stewart Cink made a great escape from the pine straw for an unlikely birdie and had a four-under 67 that gave him a five-way share of the lead and a chance to entertain thoughts of winning for the second straight tournament.
There’s just one difference for Cink. The golf course is a lot longer. And the guys he is trying to beat are a lot younger.
The 50-year-old Cink, who blew a chance to win on the PGA Tour Champions two weeks ago with a back-nine meltdown, looked steady on a day of 30 mph gusts in the morning, some wind in the afternoon but not close to the nasty weather expected at Innisbrook.
He was tied at six-under 136 with Kevin Streelman (72), tour rookie Chandler Phillips (68), Brendon Todd (69) and Mackenzie Hughes (68).