Charley Hull, England, pulled an nine-up by 63 to take the lead in the first round at the LPGA Ford Championship (Mike Mulholland)
England Charley Hull pulled an nine-Under by 63 to grab an advance in one blow on Nanna Koerstz Madsen of Denmark after the first round Thursday of the Ford LPGA championship.
In the morning without Bogey from Hull to Whirlwind Golf Club came with a new driver after having undergone a “modified” club early in the week.
“I really hit him. I felt like it put me in many good positions,” said Hull. “I carried out quite well. I chipped it quite well. I struck it well with my iron shots.
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“I don’t think I have missed a green and that I didn’t really miss a fairways. I was hitting it well and I felt confident.”
Hull is looking for his third triumph of LPGA in career and the first since the 2022 Volunteers of America Classic. She is also a quadruple winner of the European tour, more recently, winning a title in Riyadh last November.
The nine back starter won three birdies in a row in the first third holes among his nine for the day.
“I feel like I have left four good shots in fact,” she said. “Like the last one, I started on the left edge. The hole before leaving it like a short thumb. So I look back, thinking that I could have done more.”
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Madsen observed the 18th in the 18th by 4 to close in a blow, but a lonely bogy in the fifth par-4 kept his shell drift.
“Stay in fairways, which made things a little easier,” said Madsen. “I made some good putts and good stable birds.”
The 64 was its second lowest round in an LPGA event.
“It’s a fairly journalrable journey,” she said. “There is a lot of chances of Birdie there, but the Greens are really firm, which makes it a little more delicate.
“It’s always great to shoot these very low figures. I didn’t really know where the game was going in the week. I felt sick last week, so I couldn’t really practice so much, so just great to see a good number today.”
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Yoon Ina, a 21-year-old LPGA recruit, shared third out of 65 with the compatriots IM Jin-Hee, Lee half-hyang and Kim Sei-Young Plus Chien Peiyun from Taiwan, American Amanda Doherty, Japan Minami Katsu and Brooke Henderson from Canada.
Yoon helped the Par-5 12th and par-4 18th holes.
“On the 12th, I got green by two shots and I made a putt like three meters,” said Yoon. “And another Eagle 18, the second blow was 88 meters and I struck 54 degrees and I struck very well. I thought I could be sneaked, but the gallery applauded and shouted.”
JS / JGC
