ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Nasa Hataoka of Japan shot 6-under 66 and had a one-shot lead over LPGA player of the year Jeeno Thitikul, Chanettee Wannasaen, Lottie Woad and Linn Grant following the first round of the season-opening Tournament of Champions.
Hataoka played the back nine at chilly Lake Nona Golf & Country in 4 under to pick up where she left off at the end of last season. She won the Japan Classic in a playoff with Yuna Araki in November for her first LPGA victory in nearly three years.
Thitikul is coming off not just her best season but one of the best in LGPA history.
She won the the Tour Championship in November for her third win of the year, finished second at The Evian Championship and fourth at the Women’s PGA Championship, and the Thai star ended up with the lowest scoring averaging in the tour’s 75-year history.
Thitikul had six birdies and a bogey Thursday to once again climb the leaderboard in a tournament open to LPGA winners from the past two seasons. Wannasaen had seven birdies during her round of 67, Grant birdied her last two holes to match them at 5 under, and Woad reached 6 under before a bogey at the par-4 finishing hole dropped her back.
Nelly Korda was joined by Amy Yang and Linn Grant another shot back.
The highlight for Korda, who finished second at the Tournament of Champions last year, came on the 406-yard, par-4 seventh. Her approach from the middle of the fairway bounced onto the green, rolled toward the hole and bounced off the flagstick, leaving her a tap-in birdie. Korda eventually reached 6 under before a couple of late bogeys left her with a round of 68.
Defending champion A Lim Kim was in a group at 3 under that included Lydia Ko and Ingrid Lindblad.
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The Associated Press
