Friends set to become competitors at LPGA Match Play event

They’re best friends, Solheim Cup teammates and among the best golfers in the world. On Thursday night, they’re planning to watch “Friends: The Reunion” together on HBO Max.

But on Friday, Danielle Kang and Lizette Salas will step onto the first tee at Shadow Creek trying to eliminate the other from the Bank of Hope LPGA Match Play.

Kang beat Madelene Sagstrom 2 and 1 on Thursday, while Salas knocked off Albane Valenzuela 3 and 2, leaving both women 2-0 in their pool. They’ll play Friday for the right to advance out of round-robin play and into the 16-player elimination bracket.

“It’s going to be a battle,” Salas said of the matchup. “It’s going to be fun. You know, we’re best friends but also competitors, so it’s going to be a good day.”

Salas and Kang teamed up in both the 2017 and 2019 Solheim Cups and relished that they had each other’s back in those contests. That won’t be the case Friday.

“I think playing against her, my mindset will be a little different,” Kang said. “I think I have to just go into that mindset, knowing that we’re just out there to win and this is the best we can do.”

Kang is hoping to improve from Thursday, when she won despite not being at her best.

“All I kind of tried to do was keep it steady as much as I can,” Kang said. “There were just so many bogeys out there for us and so many mistakes.”

Salas took control of her match Thursday on the back nine, including a near ace on No. 13 when her tee shot rolled over the cup.

Bronte Law did her one better.

Playing in the opening match of the day, Law aced the scary 154-yard 17th with an 8-iron to close out her match with Austin Ernst.

“If we could go to the casinos, I think I would be on the tables this afternoon after that one,” she joked after her seventh career ace.

Thursday was filled with a number of lopsided matches as players tried to put themselves in position to advance out of their pods.

■ Women’s British Open champion Sophia Popov was 5 up at the turn and finished with a 5-and-4 win over Su Oh.

■ Nasa Hataoka won six of her first seven holes in beating Jasmine Suwannapura 6 and 4

■ Hannah Green was 5 up after birdies on four of her first seven holes, then held on for a 1-up triumph over Azahara Munoz

■ Inbee Park won four straight holes at the turn in a 5-and-3 win over Celine Boutier

But not every big lead held up. Jennifer Kupcho fought back from 5 down to tie Leona Maguire with a birdie on the 18th hole.

“I think I just hit one really good shot (on No. 8), and from there I started making really good swings,” Kupcho said. “I definitely started to feel the heat and get tired at the end. I had to keep telling myself, ‘You’re almost there.’ ”

Jenny Coleman continued her unlikely run toward the weekend. One day after beating Brooke Henderson, she took out match-play veteran Angela Stanford 2 and 1.

Coleman’s only match-play experience came seven years ago at the U.S. Amateur, and she’s only made five cuts in 20 starts over the past two years. So what are her takeaways so far this week?

“That I’ve got the game,” she said.

Coleman joins Kang, Salas, Hataoka, world No. 1 Jin Young Ko, Moriya Jutanugarn, So Yeon Ryu, Brittany Altomare and Alison Lee as players sitting at 2-0 and in control of their own destiny on Friday.

Round-robin play concludes Friday with the top player from each pod moving on to Saturday. Sudden-death playoffs will be held for any pod where the top players have matching records.

Greg Robertson is a freelance reporter who covers golf for the Review-Journal. He can be reached at robertsongt@gmail.com.