England’s Lottie Woad sits only a shot off the lead after the opening spherical of the LPGA Tour’s season-opening Hilton Grand Holidays Match of Champions in Florida.
Woad combined six birdies with a lone bogey throughout an opening-round 67 at Lake Nona Golf and Nation, leaving her tied-second and a shot behind early pacesetter Nasa Hataoka.
The Englishwoman adopted three birdies in a four-hole stretch from the third by benefiting from the par-five ninth, then added successive birdies from the thirteenth earlier than a ultimate bogey dropped her again to 5 underneath.
Woad shares second spot with world No 1 Jeeno Thitikul, Chanettee Wannasaen and Sweden’s Linn Grant, as Hataoka grabbed the early lead after ending a six-under 66 with two birdies in her final 4 holes.
“Could have been better; could have been worse,” Woad stated afterwards. “I have to work on my driving a little bit bit. Simply missed a few fairways. The final gap, should not have missed it there. Apart from that, every little thing was fairly strong.
“I feel like I’m pretty strategic and plot my way around. I want to keep it like that.”
Thitikul had six birdies and a bogey on Thursday to climb the leaderboard in a match open to LPGA Tour winners from the previous two seasons. Wannasaen had seven birdies throughout her spherical of 67, whereas Grant birdied her final two holes to additionally get into the group at 5 underneath.
Nelly Korda is 2 off the tempo after two bogeys in her final three holes dropped her again to 4 underneath with Amy Yang, Lydia Ko is among the many group of 5 gamers opening with a three-under 69 and England’s Charley Hull 5 again after a two-under 70.
Watch the second spherical of the Hilton Grand Holidays Match of Champions stay on Friday from 4.30pm on Sky Sports activities Combine. Get Sky Sports activities or stream with no contract.
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