Albatross helps Yan Liu hold onto Chevron Championship lead

THE WOODLANDS, Texas — Yan Liu had an albatross to offset three front-nine bogeys and rebounded from a late bogey for an even-par 72 and a one-stroke lead over four players Friday in the Chevron Championship, the first women’s major tournament of the year.

Top-ranked Nelly Korda rallied late in the afternoon to make the cut in her title defense, following an opening 77 with a 68. She won last year at The Club at Carlton Woods for the last of her record-tying five straight victories.

She used a different putter Friday.

“I putted for an hour and a half after the round yesterday, so just needed something different,” Korda said. “Sometimes that’s all you need.”

Fog delayed the start of play, with nine players unable to finish the round because of darkness.

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Liu, the 27-year-old Chinese player who shared the first-round lead with Haeran Ryu after a 65, admitted she would feel some pressure Saturday.

“I think, definitely, I will feel a little bit, because, well, this is major,” Liu said. “I know the course is going to be harder, harder, so I think I just stay patient, calm because I’m very emotional person.”

Hyo Joo Kim (71) was a stroke back with Lindy Duncan (66), Sarah Schmelzel (68) and Mao Saigo (68). Kim won the Ford Championship a month ago in Arizona for her seventh LPGA Tour title, while the other four players at the top of the leaderboard are winless.

Liu holed her 175-yard second shot on the 505-yard, downwind par-5 eighth with a 7-iron for the albatross.

“I saw the ball how to go in, so that’s really cool thing,” Liu said. “But I think they don’t have video for that hole. Little sad.”

Liu then bogeyed No. 9 and opened the back nine with seven pars. She dropped into a six-way tied for the lead with a bogey on the par-3 17th. Her tee shot hopped left into fluffy Bermuda rough, she chunked her second to the fringe and missed a 15-foot par try.

She got the stroke back with a 15-foot birdie putt on the par-5 18th, finishing about an hour before sunset.

“Last hole, is my first birdie today,” Liu said. “I’m glad I made it.

Ryu had a 74 to fall two strokes back in a group with Angel Yin (70) , Manon De Roey (71) and Hye-Jin Choi (71). Weiwei Zhang also was 5 under with three holes left when play was suspended.

Lexi Thompson was 4 under, following an opening 73 with a 67. The 30-year-old Florida player retired from full-time play at the end of last season.

“I’m still practicing and training,” Thompson said. “I love working out. I’m still striving to be better for when I do tee it up because every time I tee it up I still want to win. It’s not like I’m just going out here to show face. I’m still very competitive, but just trying to enjoy the few times I will play.”

She won the 2014 event — then the Kraft Nabisco Championship — at Mission Hills in Rancho Mirage, California.