Yoon Ina Ties for Third at Chevron Championship in Houston

SEOUL, April 25 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's Yoon Ina climbed into a tie for third place after the second round of the first major tournament of the 2026 LPGA season in Houston. Yoon fired a four-under 68 with six birdies and two bogeys at the Chevron Championship at Memorial Park Golf Course in Houston, Texas, on Friday (local time). At seven-under 137 overall, she trails leader Nelly Korda of the United States and Thailand's Patty Tavatanakit. Yoon, who was tied for eighth after the first round, opened Friday with a birdie on the par-five first hole but dropped a shot at the second. She recovered with back-to-back birdies at the seventh and eighth holes and remained steady through the turn. On the back nine, she added three birdies without a bogey, including a closing birdie at the par-four 18th after sticking her second shot within 1 meter. "I've been trying to focus more on the process than the results since last week," Yoon said. "It helps me stay calm." Asked if she would take a more aggressive approach in the remaining rounds, she said she would stick to her current game plan, noting the difficulty of major championship setups. Yoon, who made her LPGA Tour debut last year, has shown improved form this season. She recorded a career best, tied for sixth, at the Ford Championship and followed with a fourth-place finish at the JM Eagle LA Championship last week. Her compatriot Yang Yun-seo posted a one-under 71 to sit tied for 11th at four-under 140. Lee So-mi, tied for second after the opening round, shot a two-over 74 to slip into a tie for 16th at three-under 141, alongside Im Jin-hee and Hwang You-min. Former champion Ko Jin-young, Chun In-gee and Hong Jung-min all missed the cut, as did world No. 1 Atthaya Thitikul of Thailand, who fell one shot short of the two-over cut line.