American Elizabeth Szokol shrugged off an opening bogey and shot a career-best 64 to grab a three-shot lead in the HSBC Women’s World Championship at the Tanjong Course at Sentosa Golf Club in Singapore on Thursday.
Szokol carded an eagle on the par-5 fifth and had eight birdies to set the pace and hold the 18-hole lead for just the second time in her career.
Yuka Saso is alone in second place at 5-under (67) and six players are tied for third at 4 under.
“That was really the main thing (in the offseason), was just coming out here for the first few events and feeling good and feeling healthy and feeling pretty good so that was probably the thing I worked on most. And then my driver just didn’t cooperate that well last year. Really working on that off the tee and pretty pleased with that work so far,” Szokol said. “I’m really happy about the start. Great way to start the event. I’m just happy I was hitting my irons better than last week. I felt like I was shaking off a little rust last week from the offseason so very pleased with the start.”
Szokol, in her fifth LPGA season and playing on a medical exemption this week, did not play in the HSBC last season while dealing with a debilitating back injury.
“I stopped playing before last week’s event a year ago, so a week before, a few weeks before Thailand, had just a back injury for about a year and a half lingering and really wasn’t getting better,” Szokol said. “And made the tough decision not come over here, which was really hard at the time. And I think didn’t play, didn’t touch a golf club for three or four months. Came back after five or six months. But looking back, I’m really glad I did. Feeling a lot better, and glad I took that time to get healthy.”
Saso, winner of the U.S. Women’s Open, birdied four of her first eight holes and went bogey free.
“I played pretty consistent with second shots. I was able to put myself in a good position and give myself a good chance for birdie,” said Saso, who hit 15 of 18 greens. “And really enjoyed playing with Lilia (Vu) and Patty (Tavatanakit). So, yeah, it was a good day.”
The logjam at 4 under includes World Golf Rankings No. 2 Nelly Korda and Thailand’s Patty Tavatanakit.
“I think it’s definitely a pretty tough golf course,” Korda said. “The course is in great condition. I mean, I’ve never seen tee boxes so nice. They’re like — they literally feel like you can putt off of them. So, obviously, just the way that they treat us out here and then the golf course condition makes it feel like a major.”
–Field Level Media