Ariya struggles to find her feet Down Under

ADELAIDE: Top-ranked Ariya Jutanugarn struggled on day one of the Australian Open yesterday with England’s Jodi Ewart Shadoff and Taiwan’s Hsu Wei-ling seizing the early lead.

The Thai World No 1, 2018’s standout player, carded two double bogeys and two bogeys to be well down the field with a fourover-par 76, leaving her 11 adrift of the leaders.

Jodi and Wei-ling both shot 65s to be two clear of a group of three including veteran Karrie Webb, who has 41 wins to her name.

New Zealand’s former World No 1 Lydia Ko and Australian Minjee Lee, ranked seven, are four strokes further back in the LPGA Tour event at the Grange Golf Club in Adelaide, alongside France’s Celine Boutier who won last week’s Vic Open.

“To get off to a good start is always nice. I played really steady today,” Jodi, a seven-year LPGA Tour player, said after her bogeyfree round.

“It was perfect conditions. I hit some close shots and holed some good putts. Overall I just hit the ball well.”

Jodi is ranked 59th in the world and has made steady improvement in recent years without winning a tournament as a professional.

Wei-ling is also looking for her maiden LPGA title after collecting a career-high four top-10 finishes last year.

She put herself well in contention with eight birdies, offset by a single bogey in her first round of the year.

“Everything today was perfect, the driver, the iron shots but especially the putting,” she said.