It’s been an important season of learning for LPGA Tour rookie Jessica Porvasnik, as she’s only found the weekend three times so far in 14 starts in 2025.

But after an equipment tweak over the last few weeks, Porvasnik finds herself just three back of the lead at the LOTTE Championship presented by Hoakalei after an incredible ball-striking day in Hawaii.

Porvasnik had perhaps one of the most impressive displays of ball-striking of anyone on the LPGA Tour in a single round this season, as she hit 14 of 14 fairways and 18 of 18 greens in regulation on Thursday.

“I honed in my equipment the last couple of weeks and figured it out,” Porvasnik said. “That's kind of what it is. I just struck the ball really well, and I’m happy with where I am.”

Porvasnik, who said she had been “chasing a little more spin” and had gone back to the kind of setup she was using in 2024 on the Epson Tour and found success with, shot an impressive 7-under 65 on Thursday to back up the 67 she carded on the opening day of the LOTTE Championship.

She was firmly in the driver’s seat in Hawaii until Youmin Hwang came out firing on her back nine. Hwang was 6-under in her final nine holes and tied the 18-hole tournament scoring record with her 10-under 62, and currently leads Porvasnik and overnight leader Akie Iwai by three through 36 holes.

Porvasnik was 3-under for her first five holes and added four more birdies to her scorecard on her back nine Thursday. Her 65 marked her lowest round of 2025 thus far, and after the round, she summed up her success in the second round simply.

“I just hit a lot of fairways, a lot of greens, gave myself a lot of great looks, and made a few of those,” Porvasnik said.

Porvasnik, who finished fourth in the Epson Tour’s Race for the Card last year to earn LPGA Tour status for this season, recorded her best finish of the season – a tie for 30th – at the Dow Championship back in July. She opened her rookie campaign on the LPGA Tour by missing six cuts in a row, but this week in Hawaii could do wonders for the 30-year-old as she looks to make a late-season run up the Race to CME Globe standings.

She’s trying to take things just one shot at a time, however, and not get too far ahead of herself despite two very solid days in Hawaii.

“Just to stay patient. You can't look too far ahead. I kind of learned that through golf in my amateur and professional career,” Porvasnik said. “One shot at a time and hopefully everything works out.”

It gets windy at Hoakalei Country Club through the afternoon, so Porvasnik said the key for her to stay in it, as she’ll be in the final group on Friday, and make up some ground on Hwang, will be to know which way the wind is blowing and to continue to have good control of her golf ball.

Porvasnik has had tremendous control through 36 holes and will now effort to make a hearty climb up the leaderboard and notch her best-ever result on the LPGA Tour.

“Golf is a game, and you just have to keep riding it out,” she explained. “That’s kind of what I have done over the years since turning professional – just one shot at a time and stay very patient.”

Rookie Jessica Porvasnik Rides Incredible Ball-Striking In Pursuit of Best Finish on the LPGA Tour

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