South Africa’s Ashleigh Buhai on Thursday carved out a one-shot lead in the opening round of the Women’s British Open, showing flashes of the form that once marked her as a teenage sensation.
Under her single name of Simon, Buhai represented South Africa as an amateur in the Women’s World Cup of Golf. She turned professional at 18 and almost immediately won the 2007 Catalonia Ladies Masters on the European Tour.
Since then, she has added four more titles, including last year’s South African Women’s Open, and now competes mainly on the US-based LPGA Tour.
Photo: AP
However, her major record is poor, with only one top 30, but an eight-birdie round was the ideal platform for a title challenge a she ended the first round on a seven-under-par 65.
Park Sung-hyun on Monday lost her world No. 1 ranking, but she underlined her determination to snatch it back after an opening 67.
On five-under, the South Korean was just two shots behind Buhai and one back from Japan’s Hinako Shibuno and Danielle Kang of the US.
Park last week had a chance to win a third major at the Evian Championship in France, but she slipped back with a closing 75 to finish tied sixth behind new world No. 1 Ko Jin-young.
A six-birdie round got the winner of the 2017 US Women’s Open and last year’s LPGA Championship firmly back on the major track.
“I was a little worried coming in to this week at having to play back-to-back majors,” the 25-year-old said. “But it has been better than I thought. I’ve been able to focus and I am feeling good.”
Shibuno felt at home on the English parkland layout.
“Woburn is very similar to Japanese courses,” she said. “I was relaxed and confident, but I am very surprised at my position. My game was very good and tomorrow I’m going to be playing and smiling all the time.”
England’s Georgia Hall, the defending champion, and Kim In-kyung, the 2017 winner, were both on three-under.
Ko stayed in touch for back-to-back majors with a 68 to be three off the lead.
The South Korean had a blistering run of four birdies in a row from the fifth, but a double-bogey at the short 14th was a body blow.
Thailand’s Ariya Jutanugarn, winner at Woburn three years ago, was also on 68, while her older sister, Moriya, was one better.
Taiwan’s Teresa Lu was in a share of 62nd after carding one-over for the round, while her compatriot Hsu Wei-ling was three strokes back.
Additional reporting by staff writer
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