IRISH STARS Leona Maguire and Stephanie Meadow are both five shots off the lead and in a share for 26th place after the first round of the LPGA Tour’s Lotte Championship in Hawaii.
Australia’s Hannah Green the mastered blustery conditions to fire a six-under-par 66 and take a one-shot lead.
But Meadow and Maguire hung in there, Maguire posting two bogeys on her outward nine before she picked up birdies on 12 (a par three), 13 and 17 as well as 13 pars in a solid round. Meadow opened with three birdies and a bogey in her opening five holes and then picked up back-to-back bogeys on 11 and 12 before finishing off with two birdies and a bogey to close out her round.
Green, the 25-year-old, rattled off eight birdies and two bogeys to edge clear of the pack on a day where strong winds buffeted the Hoakalei Country Club on Oahu island.
“It was quite hard to predict the wind the last few holes,” world number 31 Green said. “It was getting pretty gusty. You’ve got to be pretty patient out there.
“I felt like I hit the ball really well. I don’t know how many greens I hit, but all the shots I hit where I wanted them. It’s been a while since I’ve done that.”
A group of five players are lurking on Green’s shoulder after carding five-under-par 67s.
That includes England’s Jodi Ewart Shadoff, South Korea’s Kim Hyo-joo, India’s Aditi Ashok, Scotland’s Gemma Dryburgh, and Alison Lee of the United States.
Ashok moved to within one off the lead after a birdie-birdie finish.
Dryburgh joined the chasing pack after a spectacular back nine which included five birdies.
The 28-year-old from Aberdeen was untroubled by conditions which she said were part and parcel of learning the game in Scotland.
“When we made the turn it got pretty strong,” Dryburgh said of the wind. “Just used my Scottish knowledge, I guess.”
Four players, including Mexico’s Gaby Lopez and Australia’s Sarah Kemp, are two off the lead on four under.
Taiwan’s Lee Min and New Zealand’s former world number one Lydia Ko are a further shot back on three under.
Leading first-round scores from the LPGA Tour Lotte Championship at Hoakalei Country Club in Hawaii on Wednesday (par 72; USA unless stated):
66 – Hannah Green (AUS)
67 – Gemma Dryburgh (SCO), Jodi Ewart Shadoff (ENG), Aditi Ashok (IND), Kim Hyo-joo (KOR), Alison Lee
68 – Janie Jackson, Kang Haeji (KOR), Gabriela Lopez (MEX), Sarah Kemp (AUS) 69 – Lee Min (TPE), Lydia Ko (NZL)
70 – Bianca Pagdanganan (PHI), Albane Valenzuela (SUI), Ariya Jutanugarn (THA), Maria Fassi (MEX), Dewi Weber (NED), Anna Nordqvist (SWE), Linnea Johansson (SWE), Georgia Hall (ENG), Chella Choi (KOR), Choi Hye-jin (KOR), Brittany Altomare, Allisen Corpuz, Cheyenne Knight
71 – Lindsey Weaver, Andrea Lee, Haylee Harford, Stephanie Kyriacou (AUS), Lee Jeong-eun (KOR), Na Rin An (KOR), Lee Somi (KOR), Atthaya Thitikul (THA), Stephanie Meadow (NIR), Cheng Ssu-Chia (TPE), Hou Yusang (TPE), Pernilla Lindberg (SWE), Liu Ruixin (CHN), Ayaka Furue (JPN), Hinako Shibuno (JPN), Leona Maguire (IRL), Isabell Gabsa (GER), Perrine Delacour (FRA), Celine Boutier (FRA), Ashleigh Buhai (RSA), Paula Reto (RSA), Kelly Tan (MAS), Anne Van Dam (NED)
