IN-GEE JOINS FOUR OTHERS ATOP THE LEADERBOARD
PHOENIX: Major championship winners Chun In-gee of South Korea and Thailand’s Ariya Jutanugarn shared the lead with three others atop a crowded first round leaderboard at the Bank of Hope Founders Cup.
Ariya, who won the 2016 British Women’s Open, and 2015 US Women’s Open champion In-gee both shot eight-under 64 for a five-way tie for first with Americans Katie Burnett, Sandra Changkija and Stacy Lewis.
The 21-year-old Ariya delivered a bogey-free round that was highlighted by an eagle on the par-five 15th on the Desert Ridge Course.
“I feel pretty good because I tried to work on my commitment today and it’s came out pretty good,” said Ariya. “I missed a few putts, but I made two pretty long ones.”
In-gee, 22, has two Majors on her resume as she also won the Evian Championship last year. She had nine birdies, including four in a row bridging the front and back nine.
The US LPGA Tour players had to battle searing heat all day with temperatures reaching 32°C. Lewis played with Ariya. She had an eye-popping front nine that was capped by a 136-yard hole-out eagle at the par four ninth.
“Nine was awesome,” said Lewis, an 11-time winner on the LPGA Tour. “The nine-iron was perfect in the air. It was nice to see it go in.
“If you tell me at the beginning of the day I would shoot eight under, and I’ll take it any time.”
Michelle Wie, hoping her game has been revitalised, shot a seven-under 65, to tie with Vicky Hurst, Julie Inkster, Jane Park and Sherman Santiwiwatthanaphong.
World No. 1 Lydia Ko shot four-under. She also assisted playing partner Kim Sei-young, who was stung on her right hand by a bee.
“After she hit her second shot on the 11th hole, she said ‘Have you been stung by a bee before?’,” said Ko.
Defending champion Sei-young was then treated by medical personnel before restarting her round. Despite the bee sting, she fired a five-under 67. “Sixty seven with a bee-sting is very impressive,” Ko said.