South Korea’s Jenny Shin fired five birdies and an eagle in a seven-under-par 66 on Thursday to grab a one-shot first-round lead in the Women’s PGA Championship, the second major of the LPGA season.
Canadian Brooke Henderson, 17, was alone in second on 67, a bogey at her final hole — the par-five ninth — the only blemish on a card that included five birdies and an eagle.
Australian hall-of-famer Karrie Webb, Thailand’s Moriya Jutanugarn and England’s Charley Hull shared third on 68.
Photo: AFP
Like Henderson, Webb — more than twice her age at 40 — also teed off on 10 on the par-73 Westchester Country Club course and moved as low as six-under before her only bogey of the day at the par-four seventh.
It was a further stroke back to France’s Karine Icher and China’s Feng Simin on 69.
Shin, whose best LPGA tour finish was a tie for second in the 2012 HSBC Women’s Champions, posted her lowest round in a major by two strokes.
“I’ve been playing OK, and I feel like I have my first win coming up,” Shin said. “I thought, ‘You know, it’s a major, I want to play well.’”
As she often does, Shin was keeping her eye on the scoreboard throughout her round.
“I was chasing the leaderboard all day and I was surprised that Webb was at six [under] at one point, I thought, ‘how is she shooting six-under par?’” Shin said.
“I got there and I was like, ‘maybe I can get one more on the 18th hole’ — and I did,” she said.
That birdie at the last followed her eagle at the par-five 15th.
Henderson, who turned pro in December last year, made the most of her sponsor’s exemption with a round that included an eagle at the par-five 12th, where her seven-wood from 186.5m out landed three feet from the pin.
A total of 39 golfers were within five shots of Shin’s lead.
Kaohsiung-born Candie Kung, Taiwan’s Min Lee, world No. 3 Stacy Lewis and fellow US golfer Brittany Lincicome — winner of the year’s first major, the ANA Inspiration — headed a big group on three-under par 70.
South Korean Inbee Park, the two-time defending champion of the tournament formerly known as the LPGA Championship, was among another big group on 71.
In addition to seeking a third straight title in the event, Park is closing in on the world No.1 spot occupied by 18-year-old New Zealander Lydia Ko, who fired a first-round 72.
“I think everybody feels a little pressure, because it’s a major tournament and everybody wants to do well,” said Park, who shook off two front-nine bogeys to collect five birdies.
“Because it is a major tournament and this is a great event, that’s why we feel the pressure. So I’m happy,” she said.
Hsu Wei-ling, who carded a 74, and fellow Taiwanese Yani Tseng, who shot a 76, were in danger of missing the cut, which was projected for even-par.
Additional reporting by staff writer
The lights dimmed and the crowd hushed as Karoline Kristensen entered for her performance. However, this was no ordinary Dutch theater: The temperature was 80°C and the audience naked apart from a towel. Dressed in a swimsuit and to the tune of emotional music, the 21-year-old Kristensen started her routine, performed inside a large sauna, with a bed of hot rocks in the middle. For a week this month, a group of wellness practitioners, called “sauna masters,” are gathering at a picturesque health resort in the Netherlands to compete in this year’s Aufguss world sauna championships. The practice takes its name from a
Roger Federer on Wednesday said that staying involved with tennis in retirement helped him avoid feeling “like an alien” ahead of this week’s Laver Cup in Berlin. Federer, who helped create the tournament, retired at the Laver Cup in London two years ago and has since stayed involved with the competition as an ambassador. “I’m happy I went back right away to some tournaments,” the 43-year-old told reporters. “I feel I ripped the Band-Aid off quite quickly and when I walk around the tennis sites I still feel I belong there,” he said. “I don’t feel like an alien, which is a
Japanese players are moving to English soccer in record numbers and more look set to follow with clubs attracted by their quality, strong work ethic and value for money. Kaoru Mitoma is the standout talent of five Japanese players in the English Premier League, with eight more in the Championship and two in League One. Liverpool midfielder Wataru Endo, the captain of Japan, believes his compatriots are “being held in higher esteem” by English clubs compared with the past. “The staff at Liverpool ask me about lots of Japanese players, not necessarily with a view to a transfer, but just saying this or
Taiwan yesterday survived Bosnia and Herzegovina to win their Davis Cup World Group I tie at the Taipei Tennis Center. The tight series started on Saturday with world No. 123 Jason Tseng losing 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 to Mirza Basic in the opening singles matchup. However, teammate Tony Wu kept the tie even, dominating world No. 86 Damir Dzumhur 6-2, 6-1. Yesterday, 24-year-old Ray Ho and partner 25-year-old Hsu Yu-hsiou kept up the momentum, making short work of Basic and Nerman Fatic, winning 6-3, 6-4. Tseng then suffered another defeat, losing 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 to Dzumhur in a brutal match that lasted more than two