SWEDISH VETERAN ANNIKA Sorenstam and compatriot Madelene Sagstrom grabbed a share of the first round lead at the LPGA Tour’s Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational two-player team tournament on Wednesday after carding a five-under-par 65.
Ireland’s Leona Maguire and English teammate Mel Reid sit on two over, following an opening round 72.
Sorenstam and Sagstrom had looked poised to claim sole possession of the lead after playing flawlessly to move to six under with three holes remaining at Midland Country Club in Midland, Michigan.
But a lone bogey five on the par-four 16th left the Swedish duo sharing the top of the leaderboard with France’s Pauline Roussin and Dewi Weber of the Netherlands, who posted a bogey-free five-under-par 65 to advance to the top of the leaderboard.
A year after Thailand’s Ariya and Moriya Jutanugarn romped to a three-shot victory in the tournament, another Thai duo were back in the mix on Wednesday.
Pornanong Phatlum and Pavarisa Yoktuan were one shot off the lead on four under after carding a 66.
The Thai women were tied for third alongside England’s Jodi Ewart Shadoff and US partner Emma Talley, and the American duo of Jillian Hollis and Lauren Stephenson.
Another all-American pairing, Allison Emrey and Katherine Perry-Hamski were two off the lead after posting a three-under-par 67.
Five pairings, including in-form Chevron Championship winner Jennifer Kupcho and US partner Lizette Salas, were lurking a further shot back on two under after shooting 68s.
The invitational team tournament follows an alternate shot format for the first and third rounds with a four-ball (best-ball) format for the second and final rounds.
The field is cut to the lowest 35 teams and ties after the 36-hole halfway stage on Thursday.
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