Pornanong relaxes her way to share lead with Lee6

The Thai player walked off the course smiling and said: “I didn’t expect this.”

Pornanong finished her day by making an eagle on the par-5 ninth hole, this week’s Aon Risk Reward Challenge hole, which was playing 463-yards in the first round. She hit a 5-wood to reach the green in two, leaving herself a 12-foot putt for eagle, which she said she was able to make by not thinking of the stakes. “I think I just not put pressure [on] myself, so just almost straight putt, so it's like -- you know, like relaxed for me, and I make it.”

In 2018, Pornanong was a surprise leader at the AIG Women’s British Open playing in the final group with eventual champion and hometown favorite Georgia Hall. On Friday in Galloway, N.J., Pornanong said she learned a lot from her experience at the major and learned to focus on herself. She also said she drew confidence from her second top-20 finish of the season, a T16 finish at last week’s U.S. Women’s Open which helped her during round one on Friday.

“I feel like I get more confident after last week, and yeah, I tried to be like playing my game and not put pressure on myself, so it makes me more relaxed on the course, and yeah, more good result."

Close behind the leaders is Rolex Rankings No. 4 Lexi Thompson, and 2019 LPGA rookies Kristen Gillman andMuni He at 7-under par. Gillman got off to a hot start going birdie-birdie-eagle on Friday, before posting a career-best 64.

“I think that kind of took some pressure off for the rest of the day, but I told myself don't let up, even though it's hard whenever you get 4-under after three holes to kind of cruise after that,” Gillman said. “But I tried my best to keep focusing on every shot and hit the best shot I can.”

Muni He’s 64 is a career-best round by four strokes, and she said she really felt what it was like to be in the zone on Friday at Seaview. “Today out there I tried to like switch things up a little bit and not really think too much about my score, and I was more focused on shot by shot, and I felt like time just went by really quickly. I wasn't really aware of my score the whole time I feel like.”

 

LEE6 BACK WHERE SHE LEFT OFF

Coming off her maiden LPGA Tour victory at the U.S. Women’s Open Championship, Jeongeun Lee6 was the only one from the afternoon wave to crack the top of the leaderboard at the ShopRite LPGA Classic with an 8-under 63. A roller coaster round that included an eagle, nine birdies and three birdies, Lee6 said she thought she had a lot of good shots out on the course.

“I made a lot of putts. So that's why I had so many birdie chances. And also I did pretty good with the middle-length clubs,” said Lee6.

Despite some late afternoon winds, Lee6 said the weather did not get in the way of her play. “I try to remind myself just to make my shots, to think about the rhythms and everything and just to be consistent with all my shots and all my short game, and so that's what I've been focusing on, and so that's why I feel more confident. And then also I focus more on the putting, the green speed.”

Fans of the new major champion made their presence known in New Jersey, especially in the 17^th green galleries, and Lee6 said it made her feel good going into the weekend. “I feel really surprised how people were -- it was so crowded, and the people out there on the stage, like they were wearing tee shirts, Lee6, so I was surprised about it, and I feel pretty happy and confident.”