Japan’s Mika Miyazato and South Korea’s Lee Jee-young upstaged a star-studded field at the Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia tournament to take a one-stroke lead after the first day yesterday.
Big crowds turned up to watch the likes of Cristie Kerr, Michelle Wie and Natalie Gulbis, but it was the strength of the Asian players on the LPGA Tour that stood out, with Miyazato and Lee both firing 66.
It left them five-under-par, a stroke ahead of South Korean Han Hee-won, while four players — Alena Sharp, Maria Hjorth, Ahn Shi-Hyun and Wie — were tied for fourth on 68.
PHOTO: AFP
Taiwan’s Candie Kung was in a group of six players a shot further back, along with Norway’s Suzann Pettersen.
Miyazato was happy with the way she played.
“I was hitting the ball very well and I was just focusing on making par,” the 21-year-old said. “Tomorrow, I will focus on one shot at a time.”
PHOTO: REUTERS
Lee said that she was pleased with the way she handled the greens and felt that improvements to her swing this year had helped her game.
“My swing was very short before, but last year I changed my technical coach and now I play more of a feel shot,” the 25-year-old said.
Wie, who played her round with Taiwan’s Yani Tseng and Pettersen, felt the heat.
“It was a long day. I feel like I’ve been out here for a long time, but it was a fun day, a really fun group with Suzann and Yani, and I’m looking forward to the next two days,” she said.
Among the other big names, Pettersen (69), Gulbis (70) and Kerr (72) remain within striking distance, with Choi Na-yeon (74), Tseng (75), and Ai Miyazato (76) looking for better days today.
additional reporting by staff writer
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