South Korea’s Jang Ha-na, fresh off making the first albatross in LPGA history, fired a seven-under 65 to grab a three-stroke lead after the first round of the Coates Championship on Wednesday.
Jang’s bogey-free round over the 6,541-yard layout at Florida’s Golden Ocala Golf and Equestrian Club bolstered her bid for her first LPGA victory.
Six rivals shared second on 68, including Kaohsiung-born Candie Kung, England’s Jodi Ewart Shadoff, South Korea’s Chun In-gee and Kim Sei-young, American Kim Kaufman and Malaysia’s Kelly Tan.
Photo: AFP
Jang last week hit a hole-in-one on the par-four eighth hole at the Bahamas LPGA Classic for an albatross on her way to a share of 11th in the tour’s season opener.
“It felt like the albatross was very amazing,” Jang said. “I think 80 percent lucky, 20 percent my skill.”
Jang bought herself a new dog to celebrate her feat, naming the Pomeranian pooch Albatross.
“I have three dogs: Birdie, Eagle and Albatross,” she said. “I need one more dog: Hole-in-one.”
On Wednesday, Jang birdied the par-five fifth and closed the front nine with back-to-back birdies, then birdied the par-three 11th, sank two more birdies in a row at 14 and the par-three 15th, and closed with another at the par-five 18th.
“I felt very comfortable today, because last year, I had a second-place finish, so I really have more confidence on this golf course,” Jang said. “I like that it is an old golf course and was just thinking on the fairway and the greens, there is no problem because the weather is perfect.”
Tan was one off the lead, but undone by bogeys at 16 and 18. Chun and Kung fired bogey-free rounds, while Kaufman made bogey at 17 to fall out of solo second.
World No. 1 Lydia Ko of New Zealand, playing her first round of the season, fired a 69 to share eighth along with France’s Karine Icher, South Korean Chella Choi, Thailand’s Thidapa Suwannapura and Pornanong Phatlum, and Americans Lexi Thompson, Lizette Salas, Mo Martin, Cristie Kerr and Juli Inkster.
Taiwan’s Min Lee and Yani Tseng fired rounds of 71 and 73 for a tie of 29th and 60th place respectively.
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