As usual, South Korea and the United States are represented on the leaderboard at the LPGA’s Lotte Championship at Ko Olina. Eun-Hee Ji is at the top at 15 under par after Thursday’s second round, and her countrywoman Hyejin Choi is alone in seventh place at 8 under.

The U.S. has Nelly Korda in second place and Emma Talley tied for eighth.

The seven other players in the top 10 and ties (three are T8) all represent different countries, from four continents.

The first five winners at Lotte play under five different national flags: Ai Miyazato (Japan, 2012), Suzann Pettersen (Norway, 2013), Michelle Wie (U.S., 2014), Sei Young Kim (South Korea, 2015), and Minjee Lee (Australia, 2016). Last year, Brooke Henderson made Canada the sixth country represented in the winner’s circle in the tournament’s first seven years.

Lewis breezes through back nine

Stacy Lewis is not intimidated by a challenge — even from Mother Nature.

Lewis, a two-time LPGA player of the year, thanked the gusty breeze after she fired a 5-under 67 on Thursday morning. She even asked for more of the same in the final two rounds of the Lotte Championship.

“I know the wind is going to keep blowing and may be a little worse this weekend, so I’m excited about that,” Lewis said.

She enters play Friday at 6 under overall. When Lewis finished her round Thursday she had climbed into a tie for 10th place after her first-round 71 had her at 59th. (Jeongmin Cho did the same thing as Lewis on both days.)

Lewis’ second round was bogey-free, and featured a four-hole birdie string from No. 4 to No. 7. She scored four birdies on Wednesday, but also three bogeys.

Maybe she just needed to loosen up: Lewis is 8 under in the 27 holes after making the turn during the first round.

“(Wednesday) with less wind was a little bit unexpected,” Lewis said. “I think you come to this golf course expecting to play in wind, and when we didn’t (it) kind of threw me off a little bit.”

This is Lewis’ fourth appearance in the eight years of the Lotte Championship. After missing the cut in 2012, she finished T9 and T7 in 2013 and 2017. In two earlier appearances at windy Hawaii venues, Lewis was T6 at Kapalua in 2008 and T20 at Turtle Bay in 2009.

Sister acts a theme at Ko Olina

Nelly Korda, who sits in second, might be happy today if she can duplicate her sister’s third-round performance at the Lotte Championship six years ago.

Jessica Korda’s best round of 10 played at this tournament was a 66 on moving day in 2013, when she finished T6 at 11 under overall. Jessica has played here three times, most recently in 2015. This is Nelly’s debut.

Moriya Jutanugarn (T5 at 10 under par after Thursday) and her sister Ariya (T12 at 6 under) have both played here every year except 2012, when neither did. Ariya has missed just one cut, and finished third in ’13 and T3 last year, when Moriya was 10th.

Moriya’s best finish was in ’16, when she was fourth. It’s the only time she has outdone her sister here.

And then there is the pair of sisters who work together. Brittany Henderson has served as Brooke’s caddie all three years she has played here, including when Brooke won the championship last year.