Three HSBC Women’s World Championship first-timers and two of the top three ranked players in the world share the lead after 18 holes at Sentosa Golf Club’s Tanjong Course.
Three HSBC Women’s World Championship first-timers and two of the top three ranked players in the world share the lead after 18 holes at Sentosa Golf Club’s Tanjong Course.
Seven players sit one stroke behind the leaders at -3: England’s Jodi Ewart Shadoff, Spain’s Carlota Ciganda, China’s Shanshan Feng, Thailand’s Moriya Jutanugarn, Japan’s Nasa Hataoka and Republic of Korea’s Jin Young Ko and Sung Hyun Park.
The field was reduced to 60 players due to three players withdrawing from the tournament in the first round. Last week’s Honda LPGA Thailand champion Amy Yang withdrew due to the flu, defending champion Michelle Wie pulled out citing a hand injury and Sei Young Kim withdrew citing a back injury.
It was a dream start for Ariya Jutanugarn as the World No. 1 powered her way to the top of the leader board in round one of the HSBC Women’s World Championship at Sentosa Golf Club.
On a day when several of the big names struggled, the Thai showed her class, shooting a bogey-free round of four-under-par 68 to finish tied alongside Celine Boutier, Yu Liu, Amy Olsen and Minjee Lee.
Teeing off in the last flight of the morning alongside Jutanugarn was Australia’s Minjee Lee who shot a colourful round featuring three bogeys, five birdies and an eagle on the par-five 8th hole.
Alongside the duo is China’s Yu Liu who was the story of the day as she birdied the 18th. The 23-year old, who came through the ranks of the tournament sponsor’s CGA-HSBC Junior Programme, explained what her round meant to her:
“It meant so much because ten years ago, I got this opportunity playing as a junior golfer with two other girls from China to come play in the Pro-Am [in Singapore]. I just had a blast and that really kind of set my career goals.”
Liu is starting her second year on tour and will be looking to make an impression at ‘Asia’s Major’. PUBLIC
Boutier, who claimed her maiden tour victory at this year’s ISPS Handa Vic Open had a quiet first nine holes, dropping one shot on the 11th but lit up after the turn, shooting consecutive birdies on the first three holes followed by two more on the seventh and eighth.
Tied in sixth place one shot further back are Jodi Ewart Shadoff (ENG), Moriya Jutanugarn (THA), Shanshan Feng (CHI), Carlota Ciganda (ESP), Jin Young Ko (KOR), Nasa Hataoka (JPN) and Sung Hyun Park (KOR).
Defending Champion Michelle Wie endured a tough return to the course on which she had triumphed so spectacularly last year. Clearly struggling following her wrist operation last October, the American withdrew on hole 15 at 10-over par.
Singapore’s Amanda Tan also had a tough round. Unable to repeat the kind of form she showed in the regional qualifier a month earlier, Tan shot 11-over par but is already focused on round two:
“I didn't play good. I didn't score well. I didn't putt good at all. Yeah, so putting is something I need to work on. I also didn't hit a lot of greens which didn't help, and then when I missed it, I missed it on the wrong spots. So overall, not a good round, and hopefully a better three days [ahead].”
The HSBC Women’s World Championship is taking place at Sentosa Golf Club through to 3 March 2019. For more information on the HSBC Women’s World Championship 2019, visit the tournament website at HSBCgolf.com/womens
