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01/29 15:38 CST Nasa Hataoka surges past Jeeno Thitikul, leads after 1st round
of LPGA Tournament of Champions
Nasa Hataoka surges past Jeeno Thitikul, leads after 1st round of LPGA
Tournament of Champions
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) --- Nasa Hataoka of Japan shot 6-under 66 and had a one-shot
lead over LPGA player of the year Jeeno Thitikul, Chanettee Wannasaen, Lottie
Woad and Linn Grant following the first round of the season-opening Tournament
of Champions.
Hataoka played the back nine at chilly Lake Nona Golf & Country in 4 under to
pick up where she left off at the end of last season. She won the Japan Classic
in a playoff with Yuna Araki in November for her first LPGA victory in nearly
three years.
Thitikul is coming off not just her best season but one of the best in LGPA
history.
She won the the Tour Championship in November for her third win of the year,
finished second at The Evian Championship and fourth at the Women's PGA
Championship, and the Thai star ended up with the lowest scoring averaging in
the tour's 75-year history.
Thitikul had six birdies and a bogey Thursday to once again climb the
leaderboard in a tournament open to LPGA winners from the past two seasons.
Wannasaen had seven birdies during her round of 67, Grant birdied her last two
holes to match them at 5 under, and Woad reached 6 under before a bogey at the
par-4 finishing hole dropped her back.
Nelly Korda was joined by Amy Yang and Linn Grant another shot back.
The highlight for Korda, who finished second at the Tournament of Champions
last year, came on the 406-yard, par-4 seventh. Her approach from the middle of
the fairway bounced onto the green, rolled toward the hole and bounced off the
flagstick, leaving her a tap-in birdie. Korda eventually reached 6 under before
a couple of late bogeys left her with a round of 68.
Defending champion A Lim Kim was in a group at 3 under that included Lydia Ko
and Ingrid Lindblad.
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AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf
