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BELLEAIR, FL — Day two of The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican saw a massive shakeup at the top of the leaderboard, highlighted by a spectacular charge from the defending champion and an impressive climb from two international stars. Sweden’s Linn Grant and Australia’s Grace Kim now share the lead at the halfway mark, while the tournament’s biggest draw, amateur Kai Trump, finished her emotional LPGA debut.
Grant and Kim Grab the Reins
The Pelican Golf Club course yielded low scores on Friday, allowing two major contenders to separate themselves from the field:
- Linn Grant’s Leap: Grant fired a sensational 7-under 63, overcoming an opening-hole bogey with eight subsequent birdies. The Swede, who looks up to tournament host Annika Sörenstam, credited the opening bogey with helping her relax and “get more motivated.” She now sits at 9-under 131 through two rounds.
- Grace Kim’s Consistency: Kim, who won her first major title at the Evian Championship this past July, backed up her stellar opening 65 with a 4-under 66. She now shares the lead with Grant, showing the consistent form that has defined her 2025 season.
- The Chase Pack: Overnight leader Haeran Ryu shot a steady 68, dropping her into a tie for third at 8-under, alongside Jennifer Kupcho (66).
Nelly Korda’s Explosive Move
After a quiet 1-over opening round, defending champion and World No. 2 Nelly Korda delivered the best round of the day to vault herself back into contention.
- 7-Under 63: Korda matched Grant’s low score of the day, hitting all 14 fairways and finishing her round with a flurry of three consecutive birdies on the final holes.
- Back in the Hunt: Her performance moved her from being outside the top 50 all the way up to 6-under par, just three shots off the lead. Korda, who has won this event three times, credited an improved putting stroke for her dramatic turnaround.
- Celebrity Shoutout: Her clutch finish even earned a shoutout on social media from NBA legend LeBron James, highlighting the impact of her performance.
The End of a Challenging Debut
Amateur Kai Trump‘s first LPGA appearance came to an end as she missed the cut after her second round.
- Day-to-Day Improvement: Trump, the granddaughter of President Donald Trump, improved dramatically on Friday, posting a 5-over 75—eight strokes better than her opening 83. She even recorded four birdies in the round.
- A Distant Finish: Despite the valiant effort, her total score of 18-over par placed her last in the 108-player field, missing the cut by a wide margin.
- Priceless Experience: Trump expressed gratitude for the sponsor exemption, stating she felt “very calm and peaceful” on day two and confirming that the experience, though challenging, was “priceless” for her future college career at the University of Miami.
The stage is now set for a fascinating weekend, with the leaderboard tightly packed and Korda making a dangerous move up the pack.
Author Profile
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Bradley Walker serves as the Director of Operations for NGSC Sports, bringing extensive experience across collegiate, professional, and amateur athletics. His coverage spans USF Athletics, including football, baseball, lacrosse, and softball, as well as University of Tampa baseball.
Bradley also provides coverage of minor league baseball with the Clearwater Threshers and Major League Baseball with the Tampa Bay Rays. On the national stage, he covers college football bowl games and conference championship matchups, along with premier golf events across the PGA Tour, LIV Golf, and LPGA Tour.
In addition to his reporting work, Bradley is the play-by-play announcer for Pinellas Park High School Patriots football, lending his voice and insight to Friday night lights.
He is also an active podcast host and contributor, serving as a co-host on the P&W Sports Report and hosting The Walker Report, where he delivers in-depth sports analysis, interviews, and coverage across multiple levels of competition.
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