Ariya gets off to a DREAM START

Local favourite Ariya Jutanugarn got off to a flying start as she shot a bogey-free 66 to share the lead with 2015 champion Amy Yang after the opening round of the US$1.6-million Honda LPGA Thailand at the Siam Country Club Pattaya Old Course yesterday.

 The world No 2 had four birdies on the front nine before firing two more on the back to finish the opening day as the leader for the first time in this tournament.

 The 21-year-old and Yang were a shot ahead of a pack of four players – American Ryann O’Toole, South Korean Sei Young Kim, Australian Minjee Lee and the dangerous Chinese, Shanshan Feng, who posted top 10 finishes in her last six tournaments in Asia.

 “I was pleased not because of the score but with the way I kept to my game plan. I really liked the way I hit my irons today, especially off the tee. It was really good,” said the Thai winner of five LPGA events.

 A huge crowd turned up yesterday, the best seen in many years. And they came to see their irrepressible darling play at home for the first time after creating a big bang in the global golf arena with her exploits last year.

“I was surprised to see so many people at the first tee. First I thought they would disappear one by one. But it turned out they were with me until the end. I would like to thank them for such amazing support,” said Ariya, who was back to her impressive near-top form while a month ago she  had just a top-50 finish in her opening tournament in Bahamas.

Amy Yang 

World No 12 Yang, who won her last crown at the par-72, 6,642-yard landscape here two years ago, had seven birdies against a lone bogey to share the top spot on the leaderboard.

 “I was hitting the ball pretty good. Then in the middle I couldn’t control the ball. I gave myself a lot of good opportunities,” said the 27-year-old Florida-based golfer.

Three strokes off the lead was Ariya’s elder sister Moriya, who rebounded from two bogeys on the 14th and 16th to fire two ending birdies to settle for a 69.

 “The course is in its best condition. The greens are pretty fast. After I hit two bogeys, I realised that I was forgetting what I had to do, so I pulled myself up and went for my shots. It turned out well with two straight birdies,” said Moriya, who posted her best score in the tournament.

World No 1 Lydia Ko, with five birdies against three bogeys, turned in a 70, one better than Thai No 2 Pornanong Phatlum, who was struggling with her short game.

Pressure playing at home appeared to be the key factor for the world No 41 underwhelming performance. In her two previous LPGA events, she was among the leaders after the first round.

“I didn’t play well to be honest. I didn’t set up myself in good positions and missed chances to score. I was a bit nervous playing in front of the home fans. But I hope I will calm down in the next three days,” said Pornanong, who posted three successive top-10 finishes this year.

Playing her first tournament in six months, 2013 champion and former world No 1 Park In-bee settled for a 72. “I’m feeling really good. I feel like I’m really free of injury. Ball-striking was really good. Just around the greens wasn’t as sharp as I wanted. Obviously that’s just going to happen. Just got to be patient,” said Park, whose last appearance was in the Rio Olympics which she ended up as the gold medallist.

First-round scores: 66 – Ariya Jutanugarn (THA), Amy Yang (KOR) 67 – Shanshan Feng (CHN), Ryann O’Toole (USA), Sei Young Kim (KOR), Minjee Lee (AUS) 68 – Karine Icher (FRA), Lexi Thompson (USA), Haru Nomura (JPN), Danielle Kang (USA), Cristie Kerr (USA) 69 – Eun-Hee Ji (KOR), Jessica Korda (USA), Sandra Gal (GER), Stacy Lewis (USA), So Yeon Ryu (KOR), Charley Hull (ENG), Jodi Ewart Shadoff (ENG), Moriya Jutanugarn (THA), Azahara Munoz (ESP), Angela Stanford (USA)