South Korea’s Shin Ji-yai birdied the 16th hole to share the lead with Japan’s Yukari Baba after the first round of the USLPGA Tour Mizuno Classic women’s golf tournament yesterday.
Shin started with four consecutive birdies and then added five more against two bogeys for a seven-under-par 65 on the 6,506-yard Par 72 Kintetsu Kashikojima Country Club course.
Baba carded eight birdies against one bogey ahead of Morgan Pressel of the US on 66.
PHOTO: AFP
“I reached the green on two of them [par-five holes] and another one was on the edge. The fact that I got birdies on all of the four par-fives was huge,” Baba said.
“I was lucky to make 30-footer for a birdie on the starting hole and the birdies on the par-fives got me going. I also made many ten to 15 footers today that helped my score,” she said.
Five golfers were tied for fourth place on 67s, including Japan’s Miki Saiki and Chie Arimura, Karine Icher of France and South Korea’s Meena Lee and Choi Na-yeon.
Taiwan’s Yani Tseng and Candie Kung were in a group of six players two shots further back, while compatriots Teresa Lu and Amy Hung shot 71s.
Another Taiwanese, Wei Yun-jye, went round in 72.
Additional reporting by staff writer
BALI OPEN
AFP, NEW KUTA, INDONESIA
Juvic Pagunsan of the Philippines stretched his lead at the inaugural Bali Open yesterday to three shots after a solid third round 68.
The overnight leader, who started the day one ahead of the field, sank three birdies and one eagle in his opening 10 holes at the New Kuta Golf Resort before a bogey on the 15th hole but he birdied the last.
Jarmo Sandelin of Sweden hit 32 on the front nine but called a penalty against himself on the 12th hole, sparking three straight bogeys to end with a 70.
The US$60,000 Bali Open is the final Asian Development Tour event of the year and will reward the top three finishers on the Order of Merit with an Asian Tour card for next season. Indonesia’s Rory Hie, South Korea’s T.J. Kim and Thailand’s Thanyakorn Khrongph face uphill tasks in their bid to break into the top three after lackluster third round performances. Seventh-ranked Hie, who needs a win, is tied for 19th position after a 79, alongside fifth-ranked Thanyakorn (74), who is searching for a second-place finish.
Taiwan’s Chang Tse-peng is joint-fourth after a round of 71.
Merit leader S. Siva Chandhran has already secured his Asian Tour card for next season while second-ranked Hsu Chia-jen of Taiwan is looking set to secure his card.
Additional reporting by staff writer
SCHWAB CUP CHAMPIONSHIP
AP, SAN FRANCISCO
Defending champion John Cook shot a 7-under 64 on Thursday at Harding Park to take the first-round lead in the Champions Tour’s season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship.
Cook, the winner last year at Sonoma Golf Club, had a one-stroke lead over Fred Funk and Tom Pernice Jr.
Tom Lehman opened with a 66, Schwab Cup points leader Bernhard Langer topped a group at 67, and Fred Couples had a 69. Couples needs to win to catch Langer in the two-man race for the US$1 million annuity. Even if Couples wins, Langer would take the top prize with a two-way tie for fourth or better.
Taiwan’s Lu Chien-soon opened with a 71.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY STAFF WRITER
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