Thailand’s Patty Tavatanakit kicked off the LPGA Tour’s “Asia Swing” with a 5-under-par 67 on Thursday to take a one-shot lead after the first round of the HSBC Women’s World Championship in Singapore.
The reigning ANA Inspiration winner and LPGA Tour rookie of the year posted a bogey-free card that included five birdies. Tavatanakit holds a one-shot lead over fellow former major champions Danielle Kang of the United States and South Korea’s A Lim Kim and Inbee Park.
Tavatanakit rated her play as only a “seven out of 10” on Thursday, hitting just seven of 14 fairways but hitting 14 greens in regulation. She needed only 25 putts. The 22-year-old tied for third in the event last year.
Park would have had a share of the first-round lead if not for a bogey on her final hole. The seven-time major champion stormed out of the gates with birdies on four of her first eight holes to make the turn in 4-under 32.
“I think this golf course really suits me,” said Park, who won the event in 2015 and 2017. “I think this golf course is not overly long, and that really gives me some good advantage of playing with the long hitters.”
Park’s countrywoman Kim also made the turn in 32 but parred her final nine holes to also settle for a 68.
Kang had a far more adventurous back nine.
The winner of the season-opening Tournament of Champions also has a runner-up finish already in 2022. Kang birdied six of her first 13 holes to sit atop the leaderboard. However, she bogeyed three of her final four against a birdie on No. 16.
It’s still the ninth consecutive round Kang has completed to kick off 2022 while being first or second on the leaderboard.
“It was just getting so hot at one point,” she said. “And unfortunately, I think I just kind of checked out from golf for a little bit because I was more focused on trying to stay cool. I haven’t been in this kind of heat in a while.”
World No. 1 Jin Young Ko is among a group of 14 players another shot off the pace at 3 under that also includes Lydia Ko, who is coming off a win at the Gainbridge LPGA.
Ko saw her streak of consecutive greens in regulation end at 67 when she missed the green on the fourth hole.
–Field Level Media