Georgia Hall in contention on LPGA Tour despite foot injury
Friday 22 November 2019 10:39, UK
Georgia Hall made a strong start to the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship as she ended the opening round just two shots off the lead.
Hall fired a five-under 67 to earn a share of second place with the in-form Nelly Korda, but it was Sei Young Kim who set the pace on day one in Naples with a 65, including five birdies and an eagle at the 17th.
Kim, twice a winner on the LPGA Tour this season, birdied the first two holes and cruised to the turn in 32 before adding one more gain at the 11th and, after her bold second to the long 17th found the fringe, she curled in the 15-foot putt for eagle which secured the Korean the outright lead on seven under.
Hall is without a victory since last year's Women's British Open, but she gave herself a great chance to end the season on a high with an entertaining back nine blighted only by a double-bogey six at the 13th.
The 23-year-old had just got to four under with back-to-back birdies at 11 and 12 before hitting "two bad shots" at the next, although she produced a spirited response with a birdie at 14 followed by one of many eagles at the 17th, and she then revealed she had been struggling with a foot problem which led to her errors on 13.
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"I had to call physio just for my foot, then we were a bit behind, so I was trying to keep up," she explained. "Maybe rushed slightly and managed to hit a couple bad shots on the 13th, but I was so happy the way I bounced back after that.
"I normally wear the same style shoes, and I actually have done this week as well, but they're a new pair and for some reason they're really cutting into one of the bones in my foot, so I just got it taped up more than it already was. It's still hurting, but it's fine. I can cope with it."
Hall was joined on five under by So Yeon Ryu and Korda, who was just one under with three holes remaining before the young American enjoyed a sensational finish with birdies at 16 and 18 either side of an eagle at the penultimate hole.
Caroline Masson was one shot further back after a solid five-birdie 68, while Bronte Law added to the European Solheim Cup team presence in contention as she opened with a 69.
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Former champion Charley Hull was another player to record an eagle-three at 17, but that merely hauled her back to level par after an inconsistent opening round in which she double-bogeyed the first and 11th holes while also carding three birdies in her 72.
