Ko holds first round lead in finale
Lydia Ko began her quest for the largest prize in women’s golf history by hitting a tree and making bogey on a par five. The rest of yesterday in the CME Group Tour Championship couldn’t have gone better.
The Kiwi golf star responded with eight birdies, including four in a row late in the round in Naples, Florida, that sent her to a seven-under 65 and a one-shot lead in the LPGA Tour season finale.
So much is at stake this week, even beyond the US$2 million (NZ$3,243,916) prize to the winner.
Ko has a one-point lead in the race for LPGA Tour player of the year. She would appear to be a lock to win the Vare Trophy for the lowest scoring average. Both are worth a point in her bid to qualify for the LPGA Hall of Fame.
‘‘If I’m holding the trophy, holding all the trophies or no trophy . . . I just want to have a good week,’’ Ko said. ‘‘These opportunities don’t come along very often. I want to try to grab it when it’s there.’’
It’s all right in front of Ko, who has two wins in what she considers her most consistent year on the LPGA Tour. And right behind are plenty of challengers.
Danielle Kang and Pajaree Anannarukarn of Thailand were at 66, Gemma Dryburgh of Scotland and Hyo Joo Kim of South Korea were at 67 and the group at 68 included Nelly Korda and Brooke Henderson.
Ko could only laugh at her start of the tournament by hitting a tree.
‘‘It’s almost like I had two tee shots,’’ she said. ‘‘Even though I bogeyed a par five, I knew plenty of holes were going to play downwind. I tried not to get too frustrated. The first four holes into the wind are a beast. I knew if I could hang on and be patient, there would be a lot of opportunities. I was able to grab a lot of them on the back nine.’’
And that started with a par. She was quick on a chip from just off the 13th green and watched it run some 12 feet by the hole. Ko made the par putt, and she was off and running, making four straight birdies. It helped that two were par fives.
Korda had a chance at all the awards last year until Jin Young Ko beat her, making it the third straight year the South Korean star had won at Tiburon.
Making it four in a row will be difficult. Jin Young Ko opened with a 72 as she continues to deal with an ailing left wrist.
■ Ryan Fox made a rocky start to his bid to overhaul Rory McIlroy in the Race to Dubai, shooting a one-over-par 73 to sit in a tie for 33rd at the season-ending DP World Tour Championship.
Fox – playing alongside world No 1 McIlroy for the first time – is second in the DP World Tour standings behind the Northern Irishman after a stunning year featuring two wins, four runner-up spots and four top 10 finishes.
He can claim the prestigious Harry Vardon Trophy if he finishes ahead of McIlroy – who started the day 128 points ahead of the Aucklander – at the $16.2 million event at the Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai.
But world No 24 Fox didn’t get off to the best of starts, firing three bogeys and two birdies to finish way down the 50-strong leaderboard.
‘‘A bit scratchy out there today but enjoyed playing with Rory McIlroy for the first time,’’ Fox wrote on social media.
‘‘A real gentleman and a heck of a golfer. 3 more days for me to find some form but was a fun way to start the week.’’
McIlroy also had a topsy-turvy opening round, managing a one-under 71 to tie for 22nd place after five birdies and four bogeys.
Englishman Matt Fitzpatrick’s fast start helped him move out in front in the Race to Dubai as he birdied his first five holes and finished with a bogey-free seven-under 65 for his lowest round on the Earth Course, where he is a two-time winner.
The US Open champion was tied for the lead with Tyrrell Hatton, who went on a run of four straight birdies from the 13th hole but finished with his lone bogey on the 18th.