Birdie run puts Japan’s Hinako Shibuno on top at Scottish Open
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Hinako Shibuno of Japan during the second round of the Dana Open at Highland Meadows Golf Club on July 14 in Sylvania, Ohio.
PHOTO: AFP
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TROON – Japan’s Hinako Shibuno, who is overcoming a finger injury, birdied three of her final four holes on Thursday to take the first-round lead at the Women’s Scottish Open.
The Japanese fired an eight-under 64 that put her two shots clear of Madelene Sagstrom of Sweden at the Dundonald Links in Ayrshire, Scotland.
A group of three tied for third place at four-under – Nicole Broch Estrup of Denmark, Caroline Hedwall of Sweden and Caroline Inglis, the only American among the top nine in the field.
Starting her opening round on the back nine, Shibuno birdied her first hole of the day, then reeled off four consecutive birdies from the 13th hole.
After making the turn at five-under, she registered another three birdies on the front nine.
“I surprised myself with the four birdies in a row,” she said.
Her solid round came despite a lingering finger issue.
“The ground is firm, firmer than a normal course but if you hit low and solid, my finger is not getting hurt. So I’m just being relaxed and more thinking about sequence, the swing,” she added.
Shibuno, who won the 2019 Women’s British Open, has seven professional wins, with six of those in Japan. She has not won an event since 2021.
Sagstrom, the runner-up at the 2021 Women’s British Open, also started her day on the back nine, where she reeled off three consecutive birdies to begin her round. She made the turn at four-under, then bogeyed the par-four first hole before closing with three birdies over her final seven holes.
“It started really solid with three birdies right away. Made some really good iron shots today. I kept the driver in play and not fantastic, but my iron shots kept me in it. I made some easy putts and overall a pretty easy day,” said the Swede, who is making a push to be included in the Solheim Cup.
Japan’s Ayaka Furue struggled in her opening round with a bogey and two double bogeys to shoot a 2-over-par 74.
PHOTO: AFP
Defending champion Ayaka Furue of Japan struggled with a bogey and two double bogeys to shoot a two-over 74. She is tied for 54th after the opening round.
France’s Celine Boutier, who won the final Major of the season last week at the Evian Championship, finished in a group of four tied for sixth place at three-under after a round that included a bogey and two birdies over her final six holes. REUTERS
