South Korean An Na-rin grabs first-round lead at LPGA Tour Championship
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The 28-year-old managed her best LPGA finish earlier this season at Portland, where she made a hole-in-one in a runner-up effort.
PHOTO: LPGA
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MIAMI – An Na-rin claimed she was not feeling any pressure, as she fired a bogey-free eight-under 64 to seize a one-stroke lead after the opening round of the LPGA’s season-ending Tour Championship on Nov 21.
The South Korean reeled off three birdies in a row starting at the 11th hole and sank eight birdies overall to finish one ahead of American Angel Yin, who made a long eagle putt from the fringe at the par-five 17th to sit second.
“I played well,” An said. “My putting really good. The speed was good and the shape was good. I was just trying focus a little bit more.”
Americans Marina Alex and Allisen Corpuz shared third on 66.
The top 60 players in the season points chase qualified for the US$11 million (S$14.8 million) showdown, with a US$4 million top prize at Tiburon Golf Club in Naples, Florida.
An said she felt no extra pressure with the record payout for the season ender.
“It’s about the same with the different tournaments. Just tournament is tournament for me. I just do my best,” she said.
The 28-year-old managed her best LPGA finish earlier this season at Portland, where she made a hole-in-one in a runner-up effort.
Yin, who on the contrary is eyeing the top prize, began the back nine with four birdies in five holes, then added her eagle at the second last. She said: “It’s a good head start for the big ol’ prize we get at the end of the week. Hopefully, I continue it and see how it goes.”
A fifth-place pack on 67 comprised Sweden’s Linn Grant, France’s Celine Boutier, Japan’s Nasa Hataoka, Swiss Albane Valenzuela, Thailand’s Ariya Jutanugarn and New Zealand’s Lydia Ko, a two-time winner of the event.
In other news, Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy have 24 PGA Tour members on board for TGL, their new indoor professional golf league, but they have also been in contact with the LPGA about a potential expansion, Front Office Sports reported.
A spokesperson for TGL, which debuts on Jan 7 at the SoFi Centre, said that discussions between the league and LPGA have already occurred, though any collaboration would only happen some time after the league’s inaugural season.
“We’ve been talking to them for a while,” LPGA commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan admitted.
“It will be great to get our athletes in different positions... with different exposure, different innovation in golf. The LPGA should be in every conversation about golf. So we’ve been talking to those guys and we’ll try to figure something out.”
Per the report, TGL may create a separate women’s league down the line or have a mixed event involving players from both the PGA and LPGA. AFP, REUTERS
