China’s Liu Yan and South Korea’s Ryu Hae-ran every fired a seven-under par 65 to share the lead in Thursday’s storm-suspended opening spherical of the LPGA Chevron Championship — whereas Minjee Lee is the best-placed Aussie at two-under by way of 17 holes.
Lee is tied for sixteenth after an early bogey was recovered with three birdies, together with two within the final three holes she accomplished. Fellow Aussie star Hannah Inexperienced is one-over, whereas Gabriela Ruffels is even par (each completed).
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Each Liu and Ryu had bogey-free begins for 18 holes at Carlton Woods within the 12 months’s first main girls’s event.
“My driver was fairly good, fairly stable,” Liu mentioned. “Very stable golf right now. On the course I’m fairly assured.”
Ryu made a putter change that has paid dividends.
“That was wonderful,” Ryu mentioned. “I modify the putter and extra snug for my placing this week…this putter is certainly (higher). I make lots of difficult ones and it’s actually good for me.”
South Korean Kim Hyo-joo was third on 67 with a pack on 68 together with South Korean Choi Hye-jin, American Brooke Matthews, Spain’s Carlota Ciganda, Belgium’s Manon de Roey and Thailand’s Ariya Jutanugarn.
Play was suspended by a storm late within the day and halted for good an hour later with 24 gamers unable to complete their first spherical till Friday.
Amongst these nonetheless on the course, American Lucy Li, who birdied 4 of the primary 5 holes, was on four-under with 4 holes remaining.
South Korean Chun In-gee was on three-under with two holes to play whereas Dutchwoman Dewi Weber and Australian Minjee Lee have been on two-under, Lee with one gap to play and Weber with three remaining.
Ryu, the 2023 LPGA Rookie of the Yr, seeks her third tour title and first main victory. She received the LPGA Northwest Arkansas Championship in 2023 and final 12 months’s FM Championship.
World quantity 12 Ryu’s three top-10 finishes in majors final 12 months included a fifth-place effort on the Chevron.
Ryu, 24, had back-to-back birdies on the second and third in addition to the par-three seventh and par-five eighth holes. She opened and closed the again 9 with birdies and added one other on the par-5 thirteenth.
Liu, 27, started enjoying golf together with her mom 15 years in the past. She seeks her first LPGA victory and her finest profession tour end was third on the 2023 ShopRite Basic.
Liu, a Tenth-hole starter, birdied the Tenth and par-3 twelfth, then opened and closed her second 9 with birdies along with reeling off three in a row beginning on the par-three third.
“I believe as a result of my method shot is fairly good, it’s very similar to lengthy putt,” she mentioned. “I had like 16 on the inexperienced, so each putt is for birdie, so it was fairly key for right now’s method shot.”
LEADERBOARD (COMPLETED SCORES)
-7, 65: Ryu Hae-ran (KOR), Liu Yan (CHN)
-5, 67: Kim Hyo-joo (KOR)
-4, 68: Choi Hye-jin (KOR), Ariya Jutanugarn (THA), Carlota Ciganda (ESP), Manon de Roey (BEL), Brooke Matthews
-3, 69: Pajaree Anannarukarn (THA), Minami Katsu (JPN), Georgia Corridor (ENG), Angel Yin, Andrea Lee
-2, 70: Sarah Schmelzel, Mao Saigo (JPN), Albane Valenzuela (SUI), a-Jasmine Koo, Lee So-mi (KOR), Frida Kinhult (SWE)
AUSTRALIANS
-2: Minjee Lee (17 holes)
E: Gabriela Ruffels (F)
+1:: Hannah Inexperienced (F)
+2: Stephanie Kyriacou, Cassie Porter (F)
+3: Grace Kim (16)
+6: Hira Naveed (F)