REIGNING OLYMPIC CHAMPION Nelly Korda and New Zealand’s Lydia Ko each fired a six-under par 65 to share the lead after Thursday’s opening round of the LPGA Drive On Championship.
Ko, coming off her 20th career LPGA triumph last weekend at the season-opening Tournament of Champions, fired a bogey-free first round while 25-year-old hometown hero Korda had six birdies, two bogeys and an eagle at Bradenton Country Club.
Stephanie Meadow five shots off the lead after shooting an opening round one-under 70 which included three birdies and two bogeys.
Leona Maguire is two-over after shooting a 73. Maguire shot one birdie but a bogey on the par-three seventh and double-bogey on the par-four 12th set the Cavan native back.
“Overall pretty happy in pretty tough conditions,” Korda said. “The greens are very difficult. When you have kind of gusty 20-mph winds it definitely makes it a little harder.
“Sometimes clubbing up two clubs and trying to hit a punch shot to stay under the wind was key. Just got to take it as it goes, try to give yourself as many opportunities as possible.”
Ko, 26, needs only one more win to qualify for the LPGA Hall of Fame and she made a great start at claiming that crown.
“I played really solid, especially in the first half,” Ko said. “The wind was really strong. The wind plays a huge factor around here… it makes it a lot more difficult.”
Denmark’s Nanna Koerstz Madsen was third on 66.
China’s second-ranked Yin Ruoning and South Korean rookie Minji Kang were on 67 after bogey-free rounds, level for fourth with South Korean Kim Sei-young, American Lucy Li and Thailand’s Chanettee Wannasaen.
World number four Korda followed an opening bogey with back-to-back birdies at two and three then birdied the par-5 sixth and eagled the par-5 eighth before making back-to-back birdies at the par-3 ninth and par-4 10th.
The daughter of former Australian Open tennis champion Petr Korda answered a bogey at the par-3 15th with a birdie at the par-5 17th hole.
“I hit just a loose tee shot on the first hole, and then didn’t hit a bad putt,” Korda said. “Gave myself some good opportunities.”
Ninth-ranked Ko birdied the fourth and sixth holes, closed the front nine with back-to-back birdies and birdied 14 and 17 to seize a share of the lead.
Madsen followed a birdie at the second with a bogey at the fifth then birdied the par-3 seventh and par-5 eighth, the par-3 11th as well as 13 and 14.
Kang, 24, made birdies at the fourth, eighth, ninth and 17th holes in her first career LPGA round.
“It’s very exciting for me. I can’t believe I’m right here right now,” Kang said. “I have confidence and I know I can play well.
“Since this is my first week as a rookie, I’ll just go for it. It’s exciting and nervous in the same way, but I’ll just enjoy.”
