Thai trio in pursuit in Wisconsin
Moriya, Pornanong and Pavarisa two off leader Kim after first round of Thornberry Creek LPGA
>> ONEIDA: Moriya Jutanugarn, Pornanong Phatlum and Pavarisa Yoktuan shot five-under 67s to tie for fifth place after the opening round of the Thornberry Creek LPGA Classic in Wisconsin on Thursday.
The Thai trio were among a group of 17 players, including fifth-ranked Chun In-Gee, which trailed leaders Kim Sei-Young and Laura Gonzalez Escallon by two strokes.
Moriya had seven birdies in an eight-hole stretch, then played the final eight in two over with bogeys on Nos.11 and 17.
Moriya’s younger sister, secondranked Ariya Jutanugarn, had a disappointing six-over 78. The six-time LPGA Tour winner had a double bogey on the par-four 10th, five bogeys and one birdie.
Belgian rookie Gonzalez Escallon birdied three of the final four holes for a seven-under 65 and a share of the lead with Kim Sei-Young of South Korea.
Gonzalez Escallon, the 26-yearold former Purdue player who won twice last season on the Symetra Tour, also started fast in the first-year event, making birdies on three of the first four holes.
“The greens are playing soft, so you can be very aggressive,” Gonzalez Escallon said. “I think that helps with low scoring. It’s a really good course. Every hole is different... It’s new for everyone, so I think rookies can really take advantage of that.”
Kim had eight birdies and a bogey at Thornberry Creek, the Oneida Nation-owned resort near Green Bay. The South Korean player won the Lorena Ochoa Match Play in May in Mexico for her sixth LPGA Tour victory.
“My shot solid today, and greens were softer, so I was able to go after the pins and give myself a lot of birdie opportunities,” Kim said. “And then putting was good... It’s been a long time since I played well in the first round, so I’m very blessed to have shot seven under.”
Tour rookies Madeleine Sheils and Kim Min-G shot 66. Sheils birdied four of the last seven holes.
“Very steady,” the former Nebraska player said. “I hit just about every fairway and I think I might have hit every green for like the first time in my life, so that makes golf really easy, as it turns out.”
Brooke Henderson, the 19-year-old Canadian coming off a one-stroke loss to Danielle Kang on Sunday in the major KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at Olympia Fields in Illinois, opened with a 71.
Kang, top-ranked Ryu So-Yeon, No.3 Lexi Thompson and No.4 Lydia Ko are among those taking the week off before the US Women’s Open next week at Trump International in New Jersey.