Taiwan’s Yani Tseng tied for 10th after carding a three-under-par 69 in the opening round of the Evian Masters on Thursday.
World No. 1 Tseng fired an eagle on the par-five seventh hole and a birdie on the ninth. She shared the 10th position with six other players, including defending champion Shin Ji-yai of South Korea.
The 22-year-old Tseng failed to hole any more birdies on the back nine and move further up the board because of poor putting.
Photo: Reuters
Taiwan’s Candie Kung, who carded two-over 74, shared 68th, while compatriot Amy Hung was in an eight-way tie for 91st at four-over.
Meanwhile, Sweden’s Maria Hjorth, South Korea’s Ahn Shin-ae and England’s Karen Stupples shared the lead after carding five-under-par 67s.
The trio led by one from a group of six that included the 2009 winner, Ai Miyazato, and Cristie Kerr.
With heavy showers and low temperatures making conditions far from pleasant, Hjorth made her move with a glorious outward half of five-under-par 31 and continued the stunning scoring spree with a run of three birdies in four holes from the 11th. However, the 37-year-old then dropped shots at the final three holes, missing greens at the 15th and 16th and then finding bunker trouble at the last.
“I didn’t finish the way I would have liked, but I played solid all day and putted great holing quite a few over 20 feet. This is my 15th time here and I think the course is as good as it has eve been,” five-time Tour winner Hjorth said.
Stupples hit out of bounds and ran up a double-bogey seven at the ninth to reach the turn in a less than impressive one-over-par 37. However, the 2004 Women’s British Open Champion then hit a purple streak and came home in 30 with birdies at the 10th, 11th and 13tth and again at the final three holes.
Ahn, who was the 2009 Korean LPGA Rookie of the Year, made her five-under-par round in less rocky style. She packed seven birdies into halves of 34 and 33.
Japan’s Miyazato had a top-10 finish at this month’s US Women’s Open and she continued her fine form with six birdies in a 68.
The 26-year-old was hit hard by the Japanese earthquake disaster that hit her home city of Sendai in March.
France’s Virginie Lagoutte-Clement helped her chase for a Solheim Cup debut in Ireland in September with an opening 69 for a share 10th place with Tseng.
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