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Yuka Saso had nine holes before running into trouble at the acclaimed No. 11 at Cypress Creek. —AFP
Yuka Saso stood at the edge of the street at no. 9 from Cypress Creek and hit a laser-like focus at a touch distance from the glass. She finished with a birdie, her fourth in the top nine of one of the two Champions Golf Club designs used for the US Women’s Open, and the lead in one of the toughest majors in the LPGA.
“Really, [I was] I’m not really thinking about [my game]; just jumping, ”the Filipino-Japanese ace later told reporters.
However, he faced a losing streak in the final nine, with two bogeys dragging his two shots out of the lead after a two-under 69 on Thursday (Friday in the Philippines) in Houston, Texas.
Saso, the Japan LPGA star making his major league debut, joined a seven-person tie for fifth place behind Amy Olson, whose hole-in-one at Cypress Creek’s 139-yard No. 16 drove a 67 that left her alone at the top. .
Japan’s Hinako Shibuno, Thailand’s Moriya Jutanugarn and South Korea’s A Lim Kim tied for a second one stroke behind Olson. Jutanugarn and Kim played on the Jackrabbit Course, the other layout was used for the tournament, while Shibuno toured Cypress Creek.
Another Filipina, Bianca Pagdanganan, fired a one-over-72 at Jackrabbit to stay connected in a great group tied for 37th. Pagdanganan, the LPGA’s longest hitter off the tee, mixed three birdies with two bogeys and a double bogey for your score.
Saso looked ready to climb the rankings after a collected first round, but turned the ball over at number 11, one of the most difficult Champions League holes in the tournament. At 429 yards Thursday, the hole is Cypress’s longest par four and has the highest average par of any hole during past events on the men’s circuit.
After her bogey there, Saso managed to keep up for the next six holes, keeping her a shot ahead.
“For me … the ghost comes [because it’s] golf, you know, ”said Saso. “I really didn’t feel anything. Go to the next hole and do your best.
But he couldn’t save par on the 18th hole and then hit a return shot.
“It’s really different [here than in Japan]Saso said. [a] Major and the golf courses are tough. It is long. The greens are firm and I have to use a driver from the tee. At JLPGA, I have to use a shorter stick, so that’s the difference. “
Only 23 of the 156 players on the field finished under par on Thursday.
“Obviously the US Women’s Open golf courses are difficult to learn one, but trying to learn two difficult courses is definitely a big task for everyone this week,” said seven-time champion South Korea’s Inbee Park. Major League Baseball who fired for Jackrabbit. . “But with the sunlight [limited], we have to do it “.
Kim opened with three birdies on his first five holes while playing the last nine, but he continued with consecutive bogeys at numbers 15 and 16. He had two birdies and no bogeys in the first nine.
“The beginning went well,” Kim said. “I was able to get a good pace and get the balls closer to the green, so I finished well.”
Jutanugarn closed a round without ghosts with eight consecutive pairs. Shibuno recorded four birdies and a single bogey.
Shibuno said, “Tomorrow the weather is supposed to be bad, so… I have to persevere, so I have to be tenacious. Tomorrow I have to play golf tenaciously and patiently ”.
Defending champion Jeongeun Lee of South Korea shot 73, putting her in a tie for 55th. Compatriot Ko Jin-young, No. 1 in the Rolex Rankings, also shot 73, and both played against Cypress Creek.
South Korea’s Sung Yu-jin also had a hole in one, reaching No. 4. However, she was only 5 out of 76 in her US Women’s Open debut, with five bogeys, one double bogey and no birdies. —WITH REUTERS REPORTS
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