Choi grabs lead in storm-halted Women’s PGA c’ship

CHICAGO:

South Korea’s Chella Choi, with only one top-five finish in 33 Major starts, fired a five-under 66 to seize the lead in the first round of the storm-halted Women’s PGA Championship.

Choi birdied four of the last six holes at Olympia Fields near Chicago to grab the clubhouse lead on Thursday.

“It’s very exciting because it’s a big tournament, so I wanted to play well and today played so well,” Choi said.

But 30 of the field’s 156 players were unable to finish their first round after play was halted early by dangerous weather.

South Korea’s Amy Yang was also on five-under with the par-5 18th hole yet to complete. American Brittany Altomare was second in the clubhouse on 67 but France’s Joanna Klatten was at four-under as well with two holes remaining.

Defending champion Brooke Henderson of Canada was in a group on 68 that included Americans Alison Lee and Michelle Wie and Australia’s Su Oh.

On the course at three-under were American Kim Kaufman with two holes to complete and Denmark’s Emily Pedersen with three holes remaining.

New world No. 1 Ryu So-yeon of South Korea was in a pack on 69 with New Zealand’s Lydia Ko on 70.

So-yeon, who won last week in Arkansas to jump into atop the rankings, opened birdie-bogey then birdied the par-3 seventh and 12th holes. She answered another bogey at 14 with a birdie at 18 to stand three adrift.

“I’ve never really become a No. 1 before,” So-yeon said. “This is my first day to play a golf tournament as No. 1 so that was definitely a lot of pressure. But I talked to my psychologist yesterday and she told me that even though you have a new circumstance, you’re still the same person. You’re still Ryu So-yeon. No matter what situations change, you’re just you.