Danielle Kang was stretching on Wednesday night, ahead of the 2018 HSBC Women's World Championship (erstwhile Women's Champions) in Singpore, when she fell asleep. Must have been some kind of stretching. When she woke up, however, Kang found she has a cracked tooth. That wasn't the kind of injury that put off the reigning Women's PGA champion, and she went ahead and played.
Now, through two rounds, she has a four-stroke lead. Kang, chipped tooth and all, shot a course-record 8-under 64 in the second round to surge into command. Nelly Korda and Marina Alex are in second place behind Kang's 12-under total at Sentosa Golf Club.
"Honestly, the game is coming easy right now. There are lots of birdies out there. I'm more focused on being present and just hitting the shots. I'm hitting it well, rolling the putt well," Kang said after Friday's round.
"I'm not really worried about the results of how those shots come out. It feels like just a cruising day. Just hit fairways, greens and have a run for a birdie."
Fortunately, Kang is still able to eat food, as the chipped tooth is on the side of her fangs, not front and center where you could see it when she smiles. The tooth bothers her some, but not enough to hamper her game.
"Every time I hit a shot, I'm like, it keeps scratching - it's raw [on the inside of her cheek], but it's okay," Kang said. "I just don't chew on this side. I'll be fine."
