Former world No 1 Lydia Ko and American Danielle Kang among group of six players just one shot back
Friday 9 October 2020 06:28, UK
Two-time major winner Brittany Lincicome and Malaysian Kelly Tan share the lead after the first round at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, with English duo Georgia Hall and Charley Hull three shots off the early pace.
Lincicome, two-time winner of the ANA Inspiration, birdied her closing hole at the par-five ninth to complete a bogey-free opening round which saw her miss just one green in regulation.
Tan, who has never finished better than 30th in any of her previous majors, had earlier mixed five birdies with two bogeys in her three-under 67 at Aronimink Golf Club, outside of Philadelphia.
The third major of the condensed 2020 scheduled features a stellar field with former world No 1 Lydia Ko and America's Danielle Kang among a group of six players one shot behind the leading pair.
New Zealand's Ko surged up the leaderboard with three birdies on her front nine, before she bogeyed the 18th to drop out of a share of the overnight lead, while Kang made a fast start to her round with three birdies inside her opening five holes of the day.
Hall, who won her first LPGA Tour title on US soil at the Portland Classic last month, is well positioned just outside the top 10 after mixing three birdies on her front nine and coming back with three bogeys to finish at even par.
"I'm pretty disappointed in my last two holes. I shouldn't really have bogeyed them," Hall said. "But I would have taken, I think, level par starting the day, so I've just got to take the positives and get ready for tomorrow."
Compatriot Hull, who played alongside Ko, mixed two birdies with two bogeys on her front nine before she cancelled out a bogey at the 14th with a birdie at the 15th in her level-par 70.
However, it was a frustrating first round for Mel Reid, who celebrated her first US win last week, as she carded for a four-over 74, which included a triple bogey seven at the 10th.
Get the best prices and book a round at one of 1,700 courses across the UK & Ireland
