Ko Jin-young Advances Toward Victory in Thailand... '5-Under Par Tied 4th'

Smooth Sailing for Top Contenders in Honda LPGA Thailand Round 1
Iwai Leads, Stark in Second, Moriya in Third
Titikul, Choi Hyejin, and Lim Jinhee Start Tied for Seventh

Ko Jin-young had a refreshing start.

Ko Jin-young is making a bunker shot on the 8th hole of the first round at the Honda LPGA Thailand. Pattaya (Thailand) = AP·Yonhap News

On the 20th, at the Siam Country Club Pattaya Old Course (Par 72, 6,632 yards) in Chonburi, Thailand, Ko Jin-young shot a 5-under-par 67 in the first round of the LPGA Tour's 'Asian Swing' Honda LPGA Thailand (total prize money $1.7 million), placing her in a tie for 4th. Akie Iwai (Japan) leads with 10-under-par 62, Maja Stark (Sweden) is in 2nd place with 7-under-par 65, and Moriya Jutanugarn (Thailand) is 3rd with 6-under-par 66. This is the third tournament of the LPGA Tour this year. A total of 72 players are competing, with no cut, and the winner will be decided over 72 holes of stroke play.

Ko Jin-young recorded one eagle, five birdies, and two bogeys. She got off to a strong start with a birdie on the 1st hole and an eagle on the 7th hole (both par 5s), but consecutive bogeys on the 8th and 9th holes slowed her momentum. However, she added back-to-back birdies on the 12th and 13th holes, and two more birdies on the 15th and 18th holes in the back nine, joining the race for the championship. She is five strokes behind the leader, a position from which a comeback is definitely possible.

Making her LPGA Tour debut this year, Iwai swept up 10 birdies without any bogeys to take the top spot on the leaderboard. World No. 2 Jin Young Ko (Thailand), Choi Hye-jin, Lim Jin-hee, and Mao Saigo (Japan) are tied for 7th place at 4-under-par 68. Yang Hee-young, who has won three times at this event, is tied for 15th at 3-under-par 69. So-mi Lee, Yuka Saso, and Ayaka Furue (all from Japan) also joined this group. Se-young Kim, Hyo-joo Kim, Ye-rim Noh (USA), Ruoning Yin (China), Ariya Jutanugarn (Thailand), and Brooke Henderson (Canada) are tied for 23rd at 2-under-par 70. Defending champion Patty Tavatanakit (Thailand) finished the first round tied for 33rd at 1-under-par 71.

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