Staff WriterThere are hot rounds, and then there’s what Minami Katsu just did at the Buick LPGA Shanghai. The 26-year-old from Kagoshima went full fireworks show on Friday, torching the field with an 11-under-par 61 — smashing the tournament’s 18- and 36-hole scoring records and setting the clubhouse ablaze with her trademark composure and an utterly audacious 39-foot birdie putt on the final hole.
“It was a hard putt. I hit it too hard and I was like, oh, boy. Why did I hit that so hard? Luckily it was going towards the hole so I was hoping hit the back edge of the cup and just popped up a couple inches and went right into the hole,” laughed Katsu after her record-breaking round. “So felt like I was really lucky.”
Lucky? Hardly. Katsu’s 12 birdies and just one bogey told a different story — this was precision golf played at full throttle. She hit 17 of 18 greens in regulation, needed only 24 putts, and rolled in seven one-putts on her front nine alone.
Her 61 not only obliterated the previous tournament low of 62 but also marked her personal best on the LPGA Tour, improving on her prior 63.
It’s the first time Katsu has ever led after any round on the LPGA Tour, and she did it in style — birdieing half the holes on the course, including a stunning run from 12 through 14, and again from 16 through 18 to close it out.
Yoon and Duncan Give Chase
Two shots back sits South Korea’s Ina Yoon at 11-under, who quietly stitched together a tidy round of five birdies and just one bogey.
“Me and Kevin talk about today’s game before started and he said, just stay calm. Just play your golf. Just be yourself and it helps today,” said Yoon, who has now opened consecutive rounds in the 60s for only the second time in her LPGA career.
Yoon’s tidy card was helped by birdies on every par-5, and though she’s yet to notch a win, her best finish — a T14 at this year’s U.S. Women’s Open — suggests she’s trending in the right direction.
Hot on her heels at 10-under are Lindy Duncan and Jenny Bae. Duncan, enjoying a renaissance under coach Sean Foley, carded her second straight 67 and leads the field with 16 birdies over two rounds.
“I was talking to my coach, Sean, about my swing because I was feeling like I was missing some shots right and left, so we kind of went back to like our very first lesson,” she explained. “I started to feel pretty good on Wednesday in the pro-am, so, yeah, I was pretty excited to play.”
Bae, meanwhile, saw her charge undone by a disastrous 7 on the 18th hole — the kind of triple bogey that makes even the calmest golfer consider taking up pottery. Her tee shot found the lip of a bunker, she took an unplayable, dunked her next in the drink, then needed two putts to finish. Still, her earlier eight birdies kept her within striking distance.
Defending Champ Yin Still in the Hunt
Reigning champion Ruoning Yin quietly posted a 68 to move to T22, while Taiwan’s Wei-Ling Hsu provided the day’s exclamation point with a hole-in-one on the second hole, knocking in a 7-iron from 145 yards.
“It rolled towards the pin, but because the sun was against me, I can’t really see it until like the people, the spectator are like cheering for me and yelling. So at that point I was like, oh, my God, I actually made it,” said a delighted Hsu.
It marked the 17th ace of the LPGA Tour season and the second of the week — not bad company for a Friday.
About the Leader
Katsu, ranked No. 43 in the Rolex Rankings, is no stranger to fireworks. A prodigy in Japan, she became the youngest winner in JLPGA history at 15 and has since stacked up eight domestic titles.
Since turning professional in 2017, she’s carved a reputation as one of the most consistent players on both tours, earning over $2.3 million in career money.
This season, she’s made 18 cuts in 21 starts, with five top-10s and nearly $1.4 million in earnings. She finished third at last week’s LOTTE Championship and T2 at the AIG Women’s Open, proving this run at the Buick LPGA Shanghai is no fluke.
Tournament Records
- 18 holes: 61 – Minami Katsu (R2, 2025)
- 36 holes: 131 – Minami Katsu (2025)
- 54 holes: 198 – Mao Saigo (2024)
- 72 holes: 263 – Ruoning Yin (2024)
Katsu may be chasing those remaining two marks come Sunday — and the way she’s swinging, it wouldn’t be wise to bet against her.
As the Buick LPGA Shanghai rolls into the weekend, the question isn’t whether Katsu can hold on. It’s whether anyone else can keep up.
