Jing Yan Sets the Pace at Meijer LPGA Classic, Eyes First Tour Victory

BELMONT, Mich. — Jing Yan surged to the top of the leaderboard with a flawless 66 during Friday's round at the Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give, marking a significant milestone as she seeks her inaugural title on the LPGA Tour. Yan expressed her eagerness for the challenge, saying, “It's not a position that I've had too much experience with in the past, so I'm really excited and looking forward to being in this position.” She added, “I feel like it's better to just play your game and try not think about it too much."

Starting her round on the back nine, Yan made strategic use of the par 5s, netting birdies on all four she encountered, including a crucial up-and-down from a bunker at the par-5 eighth hole. Despite encountering some difficulty with five missed fairways, she managed to match the day’s best score while needing only 28 putts, putting her one stroke ahead as the tournament heads into the weekend.

Yan, who has been a part of the LPGA since 2015 and only has one top-10 finish in the last five years, is closely pursued by Lottie Woad and Cassie Porter, both tied for second. Woad also posted a bogey-free 66, impressively hitting nearly all her targets while capitalizing on the course's par 5s, stating, “Been trying to get in contention a bit more. Feel like when I am in contention I've done pretty good so far.”

Porter, on the other hand, is still carving her path on the LPGA after transitioning from the Epson Tour. With rounds of 67-68 this week, she remains optimistic about her chances, saying, “As long as I do all I can and what's in my control, that's all I can really do.”

First-round leader Yan Liu remains in contention with a 70, sitting just two strokes back, while Minji Kang made headlines with a hole-in-one at the par-3 15th, finishing with a round of 68. The competition remains fierce as players like Rio Takeda, who matched Yan's low round of 66, and others jockey for position. The cut line fell at 2 under par, eliminating several notable players, including world No. 2 Jeeno Thitikul.