Her four-over-par 76 took her to four-over 220, still only four shots behind joint leaders Candie Kung of Taiwan (73) and Sei Young Kim of South Korea (74).
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World number one Lydia Ko endured one of the worst rounds of her fledgling career today as the New Zealand teenager limped to a five-over-par 77 during the first round of the Blue Bay LPGA Tour event in China.
She made a horror start at the par-72 Jian Lake Blue Bay Golf Course on China’s Hainan Island, carding a double-bogey, bogey, bogey, bogey through holes two to five. She won playoffs this year in the Bahamas and Hawaii in events also played in strong wind on tropical seaside layouts.
“I like the windy weather because I’m using a lot of skills and low cut shots”.
She was one of many to struggle on a day when only five off the 78 players broke par and the scoring average soared to 75.464. She’s seeking her third LPGA title this year, which would equal the three wins Lydia Ko claimed a year ago when she won Rookie of the Year.
A poor performance in China won’t affect her ranking as her closest rival, Korean Inbee Park, withdrew following the first round.
Park said she has had a cyst develop on her left middle finger over the past three weeks and may be looking at options to remove it. It is unsure when she will return to action. On the undulating greens, she needed just 26 putts to finish her round.
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Solheim Cup stars Stacy Lewis and Brittany Lang lie a further shot off the pace, while Suzann Pettersen is one of 11 players in a tie for 22nd following a two-over 74.
