South Korea’s Jang Ha-na birdied the par-five 18th for a five-under 66 and a one-stroke lead on Thursday after the first round of the LPGA Tour’s Marathon Classic.
Taiwan’s Hsu Wei-ling, Sarah Kemp, Nannette Hill and Lee-Anne Pace were tied for second at four-under.
Jang chipped to 6 feet (1.8m) to set up the final birdie after hitting a three-wood approach to the front edge.
Photo: AP
“Just really good shot,” Jang said about the chip with a 52o wedge.
“I feel happy today, because in the morning ... I was very tired in my bed, so no practice today. I don’t think about the score, so really good play today,” Jang said.
Winless in 23 career tour events, Jang birdied four of the first five holes on the back nine at Highland Meadows, dropped a stroke on the par-four 15th and rallied with the closing birdie.
“I like the course,” Jang said. “Very narrow fairways and small greens. Very close to Korean golf course, so I think it’s very easy for my feel. Really good golf course.”
She took a simple approach on the course softened by a rainy month.
“Just always thinking about fairway and greens,” Jang said. “Very easy thinking.”
Kemp bogeyed her final hole, the par-four ninth. The Australian has missed the cuts in seven of the 12 tournaments this season.
“My caddie and I were actually talking before I teed off that I had not had a four or five-under in a while,” Kemp said. “That was the plan today, so it was nice to pull it off. It’s confidence. I’ve had an inconsistent year, some good and some bad. Hopefully, for the rest of the three days I can keep it up.”
Kemp’s approach on the ninth hole landed in the rough to the left of the green. She hit to the fringe, but came back with a chip that hit the flagstick and she was able to make her putt for bogey.
“It was a funny lie,” Kemp said. “I had a bad lie for the first chip, where I shouldn’t have been in the first place.”
Hill had three straight birdies from the sixth to eighth hole to reach four-under and parred the final 10 holes.
“I feel really good,” Hill said. “All season I feel like I’ve been very consistent and building off good stuff. So, came to this course on Sunday and felt like it fit my eye really well.”
Top-ranked Inbee Park, a three-time winner this season, birdied her final hole for a 70.
“I hit a lot of greens, but not really close,” Park said. “Irons just weren’t as pure as I thought it would be. Missed couple putts here and there. Only two birdies and one bogey. Not a bad start.”
Defending champion Lydia Ko, ranked No. 2 in the world, opened with a 71.
Third-ranked Stacy Lewis also had a 71.
Kaohsiung-born Candie Kung of the US finished tied for 18th on two-under 69, while Taiwan’s Min Lee and Yani Tseng were tied for 40th after each carding an even-par 71.
Additional reporting by staff writer
NIGHT OF FIRSTS: In the first official game at the Tapei Dome on Sunday, not only did Taiwan notch a win over South Korea, they also recorded the stadium’s first hit and RBI The Philippines yesterday dominated Thailand 14-4 at the Taipei Dome in the opening game of Group B on the second day of the Asian Baseball Championship, while Palestine pipped Hong Kong 3-1 in Taichung in Group A. World No. 35 the Philippines put themselves on the board early, racking up two runs in the first inning, followed by two in the third, one each in the fourth and fifth, and three in the sixth. Thailand, ranked 43rd in the world, did not get on the board until the top of the seventh inning, when they tried to stage a comeback, putting up
TROUNCED: Taiwan beat Palestine in six innnings on day three of the Asia Baseball Championship, while it took just five innings for Japan to defeat Thailand Taiwan yesterday beat Palestine 19-0 at the Taichung Intercontinental Baseball Stadium on the third day of the Asian Baseball Championship. The Group A game was over in six innings after a 6:03pm start. Taiwan went on the offensive from the first inning, scoring three runs, but the real damage was done in the third inning, when they scored seven. The Palestine players are all studying or working in the US. In another duel between two unevenly matched teams, Japan thrashed Thailand 16-0 in their late Group B game at the Taipei Dome. They won in five innings thanks to the mercy rule, which states
NATIONS LEAGUE: England crushed Scotland 6-0, but their Olympic hopes were ruined when the Netherlands beat them on goal difference with a 4-0 win against Belgium Germany and the Netherlands on Tuesday booked their places at the UEFA Women’s Nations League finals , where they are also to fight for spots at next year’s Paris Games, but there was heartbreak for England whose hopes of competing in the Olympics were dashed, despite beating Scotland 6-0. Germany drew 0-0 in Wales, but secured their passage thanks to Iceland’s 1-0 win over Denmark. The Netherlands needed a 95th-minute goal from Damaris Egurrola to see them to a 4-0 win over Belgium which meant they edged England on goal difference in Group A1 after the FIFA Women’s World Cup runners-up hammered
SANTOS RELEGATED: Pele’s former team finished with a loss that prompted fans to attempt to invade the pitch, forcing the players to run for the locker rooms One of the most exciting seasons of the Brazilian league ended on Wednesday with the most stable team of the year defending their title and the club that was home to Pele relegated for the first time. Palmeiras drew 1-1 against Cruzeiro to be crowned Brazilian champions for the 12th time. Endrick, 18, scored his 11th goal of the season to give Palmeiras an early lead and Nikao equalized in the 80th minute at the Mineirao Stadium in Belo Horizonte. Santos’ relegation following a 2-1 home loss to Fortaleza was another setback for the club at the stadium where Pele’s funeral took place