AIG Girls’s Open: Charley Hull grabs early lead with Nelly Korda, Lilia Vu chasing at windy St Andrews

Charley Hull made the dream begin to her bid for a maiden main title by grabbing a one-shot lead after the opening spherical of the AIG Girls’s Open at St Andrews.

Hull – who completed runner-up in final 12 months’s contest – produced six birdies with a lone bogey on a windy day across the Previous Course, with a five-under 67 seeing her prime the leaderboard forward of former main champion Ruoning Yin and world No 1 Nelly Korda.

Korda was taking part in alongside Hull and produced a birdie-birdie end to get inside one of many lead, whereas defending champion Lilia Vu – finishing that marquee threeball – sits simply two strokes again after a formidable opening-round 69.

Former main champion Patty Tavatanakit matched Korda’s late birdie burst to affix Vu within the group on three below, whereas Olympic gold medallist Lydia Ko and 2018 Girls’s Open champion Georgia Corridor each began with one-under 71s.

Stars impress at windy St Andrews

The R&A had warned pre-tournament that climate delays have been ‘a danger’ due to the robust winds forecast on the opening day, though the primary spherical was accomplished with out suspension regardless of brutal situations and a sluggish tempo of play.

Yin delivered a surprising begin within the worst of the winds within the morning wave, the place solely 4 gamers posted rounds below par, with 5 birdies in a seven-hole stretch briefly taking her 4 forward and threatening a course document.

The previous KPMG Girls’s PGA champion then bogeyed two of her final 4 holes to complete with a four-under 68, which remained the lead till Hull made her cost up the leaderboard.

Hull responded to a bogey on the par-three eighth by birdieing three of her subsequent 4 holes, then bounced again from failing to make the most of a lucky break off a rake on the par-five 14th to birdie the subsequent and transfer degree with Yin.

The 28-year-old capped off a formidable opening day with a birdie on the par-four final to maneuver into the outright benefit, whereas Korda birdied three of her final 5 holes to remain inside one among her taking part in accomplice.

“It was unbelievable,” Hull advised Sky Sports activities. “To be fair, when I woke up this morning and saw how windy it was on the range, I thought to myself, ‘how is she [Ruoning] four under par?’ And I saw Georgia [Hall] shot one under, which was a really good score.

“So for me to shoot that [67], it was actually good as a result of it was so gusty on the market. I am fairly proud of myself. I really had loads of enjoyable on the market, particularly taking part in with Nelly [Korda] and Lilia [Ku]. It was nice.”

What else occurred on day one?

Vu carded the most effective opening spherical by a defending since Georgia Corridor in 2019 when she posted a three-under 69, having made three birdies in 4 holes from the sixth, with Jenny Shin, Mi Hyang Lee, Mao Saigo, Tavatanakit and Andrea Lee additionally inside two of the lead.

Hyo Joo Kim rounds off the highest 10 and is on two below, with Corridor 4 again and in rivalry after driving the par-four ninth inexperienced and eagling her closing gap of the day.

Leona Maguire recovered from a bogey-bogey begin to publish a one-over 73 and Evian Championship winner Ayaka Furue stuttered to an opening-round 75, whereas final week’s ISPS Handa Girls’s Scottish Open champion Lauren Coughlin struggled to a four-over 76.

Who will win the AIG Girls’s Open? Watch all 4 rounds reside this week on Sky Sports activities! Dwell protection of the second spherical continues on Friday at noon on Sky Sports activities Golf. Stream the ladies’s majors and extra sport with NOW.

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