Liu leads by 7 after record round
LIU Yiyi smashed the China LPGA Tour scoring record yesterday when the Shaanxi teenager fired an 11-under-par 61 to take a seven-stroke lead after the first round of the Women’s China Open presented by World Golf Series in southeastern Fujian Province.
The 17-year-old pro carded nine birdies and a hole-in-one at the 165-yard par-3 fourth hole with a 5-iron at Orient Xiamen. Liu’s feat beat the previous Tour record set by Korean Park In-bee, who shot 11-under 62 (par-73) in the third round of the 2014 World Ladies Championship at Mission Hills Haikou.
It also bettered the previous tournament record of 8-under 64 set by another Korean Shin Ji-yai in the third round of the 2006 China Ladies Open at Orient Xiamen.
Liu, who won the US Women’s Open sectional qualifier for China in May, called her record-breaking round “amazing.” Starting her day from the back nine with a birdie, the teenager said she just took it from there.
“I feel a little bit comfortable but not scared. I just go on and hit it and do my best. I was on fire,” said Liu who reeled off six consecutive birdies starting from the 15th hole (her sixth).
“I am so excited. I think I can’t sleep tonight. Tomorrow and the last two days I will try my very, very best to hit some good scores.”
Lin Xiyu was equal second after the Guangdong native opened her campaign at the 12th national championship with a 68, tied with Korean Hwang Ye-nah and Chinese Taipei’s Chen Yu-ju.
Yin Ruoning was the top amateur, the teenager firing a 69 to sit equal fifth with Thais Khanphanitnan Muangkhumsakul, Sherman Santiwiwatthanapong and Ploychompoo Wirairungrueng.
US LPGA Tour regular Lin, playing in her first tournament since finishing 14th at last month’s Blue Bay LPGA, opened with a bogey-free round featuring two birdies each on the front and back nines in her bid to become the first Chinese to win the championship.
“I normally will feel a little rusty after a long break but today I feel really good. Unfortunately I missed a couple of birdies. I mean it’s a very solid round, I feel really happy,” she said.
Lin expressed surprise at Liu’s round of 61 on a “very difficult course” and said it would be an uphill battle for her to win. “Seven shots is a big gap. I will definitely try my best and I know I will have to have some low scores if I want to win this tournament. I think it will happen if I can manage my putter better. Tomorrow it will be an early start, when I normally score better, so I am really looking forward to a good round.”
Liu’s ace was the second hole-in-one of the day as Korean Lee Jae-yoon recorded a perfect shot at the 155-yard eighth hole with a blast of her 7-iron.