Tag: Masters

“If I’m holding the trophy, holding all the trophies or no trophy…I just want to have a good week. These opportunities don’t come along very often. I want to try to grab it when it’s there” – Lydia Ko, who leads the LPGA CME Group Tour Championship by a shot

Lydia Ko began her quest for the largest prize in women’s golf history by hitting a tree and making bogey on a par-five, but the rest of Thursday in the LPGA CME Group Tour Championship could not have gone better.

New Zealander Ko responded with eight birdies, including four in a row late in the round at Tiburon Golf Club, that sent her to a seven-under 65 and a one-shot lead in the LPGA Tour season finale.

So much is at stake this week, even beyond the $2m prize to the winner.

Ko has a one-point lead in the race for LPGA Tour player of the year, while she looks set to win the Vare Trophy for the lowest scoring average. Both are worth a point in her bid to qualify for the LPGA Hall of Fame.

“If I’m holding the trophy, holding all the trophies or no trophy…I just want to have a good week,” Ko said. “These opportunities don’t come along very often. I want to try to grab it when it’s there.”

It is all right in front of Ko, who has two wins in what she considers her most consistent year on the LPGA Tour. And right behind are plenty of challengers.

Danielle Kang and Pajaree Anannarukarn of Thailand are just behind Ko after carding 66s, Gemma Dryburgh of Scotland and Hyo Joo Kim of South Korea fired 67s and Nelly Korda and Brooke Henderson were in the group with 68s.

Korda missed four months earlier this year because of surgery for a blood clot in her left arm. She finally is back to full strength, and her victory last week up the coast at Pelican Golf Club allowed her to return to No 1 in the women’s world ranking.

Henderson had to withdraw last week with back pain, and the Canadian was not even sure she would be able to play. But she made an adjustment in her swing, and it allowed her to get around Tiburon with a respectable 68.

Henderson has an outside shot at player of the year, though she would have to win and have Ko and Minjee Lee finish third or worse.

Lee, who has already set an LPGA Tour record with $3.7m in earnings this season, opened with a 71. Atthaya Thitikul of Thailand, the 19-year-old who reached No 1 in the world until Korda took it back, had a 73.

Ko could only laugh at her start of the tournament by hitting a tree.

“It’s almost like I had two tee shots,” she said. “Even though I bogeyed a par-five, I knew plenty of holes were going to play downwind. I tried not to get too frustrated. The first four holes into the wind are a beast. I knew if I could hang on and be patient, there would be a lot of opportunities.

“I was able to grab a lot of them on the back nine.”

And that started with a par. She was quick on a chip from just off the 13th green and watched it run some 12 feet by the hole. Ko made the par putt, and she was off and running, making four straight birdies. It helped that two were par-fives.

Korda gave up an easy birdie chance on the par-five 17th when she drove it so long she had only 159 yards left. But she came up well short and failed to get up-and-down. That was a product of what she referred to as getting fooled too often by the end.

Korda had a chance at all the awards last year until Jin Young Ko beat her, making it the third straight year the South Korean star had won at Tiburon.

Making it four in a row will be difficult. Jin Young Ko opened with a 72 as she continues to deal with an ailing left wrist.

Watch the CME Group Tour Championship throughout the week live on Sky Sports. Live coverage continues Friday from 7pm live on Sky Sports Golf and – for free – on the Sky Sports Golf YouTube channel.

Tommy Fleetwood posted a final-round 67 to finish a shot clear of Ryan Fox, with Shubhankar Sharma two strokes back in third ahead of Richie Ramsay; Fleetwood’s victory is his sixth DP World Tour title and second at the Nedbank Golf Challenge

Tommy Fleetwood has ended a three-year winless run on the DP World Tour by completing a dramatic title defence at the Nedbank Golf Challenge in South Africa.

Fleetwood overturned a three-stroke deficit during a marathon Sunday at Gary Player Country Club in Sun City, where the final round was halted for over three hours due to thunderstorms, mixing an eagle and four birdies with a lone bogey to card a five-under 66.

The Englishman ended the week on 11 under and a shot clear of playing partner Ryan Fox, who bogeyed the final hole to miss out on the chance to leapfrog Rory McIlroy at the top of the season-long DP World Tour rankings.

Fleetwood’s victory is his sixth DP World Tour title and first since winning the same event in 2019, with the past two editions cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic, while his success lifting him to fourth in the DP World Tour standings heading into the season-ending DP World Tour Championship.

More to follow…

Russell Henley matches the World Wide Technology Championship record of 23-under to win his first PGA tournament since 2017; the 33-year-old said: “I just tried to learn from my past and my screw-ups”

Russell Henley survived an early scare to win the World Wide Technology Championship in Mexico as Scottie Scheffler narrowly failed to return to the top of the world rankings.

Henley’s six-shot overnight lead was down to four when Scheffler birdied the 18th to complete a flawless closing 62 and the gap was three when Henley dropped his first shot of the week on the fifth.

However, the 33-year-old American promptly birdied the next three holes and cruised to a fourth PGA Tour title, his first since the 2017 Houston Open.

Henley, who had failed to convert any of his last five 54-hole leads into a victory, told Golf Channel: “I just tried to learn from my past and my screw-ups.

“All of those events I didn’t close, they hurt and you don’t know if you’ll ever get to win another one, it’s so hard out here.

“To come down 18 with a four-shot lead it was really cool.”

A closing 70 saw Henley equal the tournament record with a total of 23 under par, four shots clear of fellow American Brian Harman.

Scheffler, who needed to win or finish solo second to reclaim top spot in the world rankings from Rory McIlroy, finished in a tie for third on 18 under with Ireland’s Seamus Power, Joel Dahmen, Troy Merritt and Will Gordon.

Norway’s Viktor Hovland, who was bidding to win the tournament for the third straight year, carded a final round of 68 to finish in a tie for 10th.

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Seventeen-year-old Ting-Hsuan Huang earns entry into AIG Women’s Open and the Amundi Evian Championship in 2023 after two-stroke victory at Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific Championship in Thailand; Chinese Taipei player finishes two strokes clear of home favourite Natthakritta Vongtaveelap

Ting-Hsuan Huang won the Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific Championship in Thailand to secure entry into two major championships in 2023.

Huang, 17, will now tee it up at the AIG Women’s Open and the Amundi Evian Championship next year after a two-stroke win over home favourite Natthakritta Vongtaveelap at Siam Country Club.

Huang, from Chinese Taipei, birdied six of her last 11 holes for a three-under final round of 69 and to finish on 11 under for the tournament.

Vongtaveelap was one under for her final round and nine under for the event, with her hopes dashed by bogeys at the 16th and 17th holes.

Huang says ‘it is a dream come true’ to be able to play in majors

Huang had bogeyed her first and fourth holes after starting the day in a share of the lead at eight under but recovered brilliantly to secure a win that has also earned her a spot in the Hana Financial Group Championship and an invitation to play in the Augusta National Women’s Amateur.

Huang said: “To be able to play in majors is really a dream come true for me. I did not have any expectations coming into this week.

“I just wanted to play good golf and enjoy myself on the golf course. To be able to do this is amazing.”

It has also been announced that Singapore’s Island Country Club will host the 2023 Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific Championship in March.

Russell Henley shoots a 65 to open up six-shot lead over Will Gordon and Patton Kizzire at Mayakoba heading into the final round at the World Wide Technology Championship

Russell Henley stands on the brink of a first PGA Tour win in five years after he opened up a six-shot lead after the third round of the World Wide Technology Championship at Mayakoba on Saturday.

The American – whose previous Tour win came at the Houston Open in 2017 – shot a third-round 65 to finish on 22 under par, six ahead of compatriots Will Gordon and Patton Kizzire.

Russell Henley is on course for his first victory since the 2017 Houston Open

Henley, who is closing in on his fourth career victory in total, has yet to drop a shot at El Camaleon.

“I mean, I’m just going to try to get my mind off of golf a little right now and get some dinner and watch a little football, maybe watch the World Series and just kind of go into tomorrow, new day and just do the best I can,” he said.

“Out here you’ve got to keep attacking. Everybody’s so good and everybody can go low, so it’s a tough game out here.

“I don’t think I’ve ever had a lead like this. It’s definitely tough to finish golf tournaments, so I’m just really trying not to think about the score and just think about each shot.”

Ireland’s Seamus Power, coming off a win in Bermuda, fired a 63 to lie fourth – and his round included a hole-in-one at the eighth hole.

Masters champion Scottie Scheffler shot 68 to remain in the middle of the pack, 13 shots behind and without much hope of regaining the No 1 ranking.

There was another ace on Saturday, as Greyson Sigg holed his tee shot at the 10th.

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Ueda: “I changed the shaft for my driver and also my putter. I normally do not change my putter very often, but it works very well this week”; Suzuki: “I made a decision to play without a coach anymore, and it just started to go well. I feel like I could have gone to 10-under today.”

Japanese players Ai Suzuki and Momoko Ueda each shot seven-under 65s on Thursday to sit top of the first-round leaderboard at the LPGA Tour’s Toto Japan Classic.

Two other Japanese players were a shot behind: Ayaka Furue and Sakura Koiwai. The tournament is being played at the Seta Golf Club in Shiga, Japan.

Furue is the defending champion and Suzuki won the event in 2019. Miyu Yamashita, another Japanese player, is two strokes behind after a 67.

Suzuki said she has been struggling with her swing and hired a new swing coach, which did not work out.

“Then I made a decision to play without a coach anymore, and it just started to go well,” she said. “I feel like I could have gone to 10-under today.”

Ueda said she has also made recent adjustments.

“I changed the shaft for my driver and also my putter,” Ueda said. “I normally do not change my putter very often, but it works very well this week.”

Atthaya Thitikul of Thailand, the LPGA’s new No 1-ranked player, shot a 71. She is only the second player under the age to 20 to reach No 1. She turns 20 next year on February 20.

Lydia Ko of New Zealand reached No 1 in 2015 when she was only 17 years old.

“Being No 1 is pressure,” Thitikul said earlier in the week. “I don’t know how long I’m going to be No 1 in the world but at least it’s just a ranking.”

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Seamus Power of Ireland shares the lead with American Ben Griffin heading into the final round of the Bermuda Championship; watch live action on Sky Sports Golf from 5.30pm on Sunday

Ireland’s Seamus Power enjoyed another six-under 65 to share the lead with Ben Griffin at the Bermuda Championship on Saturday.

The Waterford native struck with some late birdies for another round of six-under to head into Sunday’s final round level with American Ben Griffin on 18 under.

The 35-year-old Irishman is no stranger to windy conditions having played at the tournament the last few years.

He sealed his spot on the top of the board late in the third round, which started out with four straight birdies.

Further birdies followed on 11, 16 and 17, with a double bogey on the par-three 13th the only blemish on his round.

“I knew I had to get birdies before 11,” Power said. “I don’t know how comfortable you get when you get to 16 and you’re having to aim your ball in the ocean.”

Power has one PGA Tour victory, the Barbasol Championship in Kentucky last year. He would love nothing more than a win for a strong early start to the PGA Tour and to assure his spot at The Masters.

Griffin gave up on the game a few years ago before making a comeback

Griffin, who was previously working as a loan mortgage officer, earned his full card onto the PGA Tour last year.

“It’s been surreal really the last year and two months of just being comfortable on the golf course and just going out and trying to win,” Griffin said.

“When you’re playing mini-tour events and you’re trying to grind for top 10 just to break even, just have enough money to maybe do a Monday qualifier, it’s not necessarily the easiest in terms.

“Now that I have this little bit of freedom, I can go out there and just try to win golf tournaments.”

Australia’s Aaron Baddeley and Kevin Yu of Taipei are two shots back at 16-under, with another American, Brian Gay, alone in fifth place on 15-under following a third straight 66.

Overnight leader Ben Crane struggled in round three, with four birdies and six bogeys in a two-over 73 and he now sits in joint ninth, six shots off the pace.

Watch the Butterfield Bermuda Championship throughout the week live on Sky Sports. Live coverage continues Sunday from 6.30pm on Sky Sports Golf.

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Poulter: “My commitment to the Ryder Cup I think goes before me. I don’t think that should ever come in question. I’ve always wanted to play Ryder Cups and have played with as much passion as anyone else that I’ve ever seen play a Ryder Cup.”

Ian Poulter has hit out at Rory McIlroy describing his Ryder Cup team-mates joining LIV Golf as a “betrayal” and insists he still wants to represent Team Europe in the future.

LIV Golf members are still currently able to compete on the DP World Tour and earn Ryder Cup qualification points, although it remains unclear whether they will be allowed to feature at Marco Simone GC next September.

McIlroy said in an interview with the Guardian he felt “betrayal” from his Ryder Cup team-mates joining the Saudi-backed circuit and questioned their commitment towards Team Europe, while Poulter remains adamant his love for the biennial contest remains as strong as ever.

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Ryder Cup captains Luke Donald and Zach Johnson avoided talk about LIV Golf earlier this month, due to a current lack of clarity with regards to qualification for the Ryder Cup

“A betrayal? We can still qualify for the team as far as I’m aware,” Poulter said ahead of LIV Golf’s season-ending Team Championship. “Unless we’ve been told we can’t qualify, then I’m still ready to play as much as I possibly can and try and make that team.

“My commitment to the Ryder Cup I think goes before me. I don’t think that should ever come in question. I’ve always wanted to play Ryder Cups and have played with as much passion as anyone else that I’ve ever seen play a Ryder Cup.

“I don’t know where that comment really has come from, to be honest.”

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Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood said earlier in the summer that they remained unsure of their Ryder Cup playing status

Five of Europe’s team beaten by a record-breaking margin at Whistling Straits last September have already joined LIV Golf, including Poulter, record points scorer Sergio Garcia and Ryder Cup stalwart Lee Westwood.

Paul Casey and Bernd Wiesberger also made the switch, along with former Ryder Cup winners Graeme McDowell and Martin Kaymer, while Henrik Stenson was stripped of Team Europe captaincy for the 2023 contest after joining the breakaway tour.

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Scottie Scheffler said in September that there’s more talent on the PGA Tour than the LIV Golf circuit

Mickelson praises McIlroy and tones down LIV Golf claims

McIlroy has regularly spoken out in support of golf’s traditional tours and ahead of his CJ Cup title defence rejected claims from six-time major champion Phil Mickelson, who previous suggested LIV Golf was on the way up while the PGA Tour was on the way down.

“First of all, what a great win he had last week,” Mickelson said about McIlroy on Wednesday. “He played some great golf. I think it was an impressive victory.

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Rory McIlroy has hit back at Phil Mickelson’s claim that LIV Golf is on the rise and the PGA Tour is on the decline

“Maybe I shouldn’t have said stuff [about the PGA Tour] like that, I don’t know. But if I’m just looking at LIV Golf and where we are today to where we were six, seven months ago and people saying this is dead in the water.

“We’re past that, and here we are today – a force in the game that’s not going away, that has players of this calibre that are moving professional golf throughout the world and the excitement level in the countries around the world of having some of the best players in the game of golf coming to their country and competing.

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Jon Rahm has rejected Phil Mickelson’s claim the PGA Tour is on a ‘downward trend’ and says animosity between players won’t work in a Ryder Cup team after Sergio Garcia said he would rather not take part if he negatively affected his team mates

“It’s pretty remarkable how far LIV Golf has come in the last six, seven months. I don’t think anybody can disagree with that.”

Smith to face Mickelson in Team Championship

The draw was made for LIV Golf’s Team Championship on Wednesday, with captains from teams ranked fifth to eighth in the season-long standings getting to pick their opponents for Friday’s opening round.

Six-time major winner Mickelson will take on reigning Open Champion Cameron Smith as one of the day’s featured singles matches, which will also pit top Chilean pro Joaquin Niemann against former world No 1 Martin Kaymer.

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Phil Mickelson says he believes he’s on the ‘winning side’ of the current divide within the sport, having chosen to play in the LIV Golf Invitational Series

Poulter – serving as captain this week for Majesticks GC instead of Lee Westwood – will face Iron Heads GC captain Kevin Na, with four-time major winner Brooks Koepka up against Harold Varner III of Niblicks GC.

Two singles and one foursome match will take place in each fixture on Friday, with all 32 players competing simultaneously and each match winner receiving one point. The first team to earn two points will advance to Saturday’s semi-finals.

Smash GC vs Niblicks GC

• Foursomes: Jason Kokrak and Chase Koepka vs Turk Pettit and Hudson Swafford
• Singles: Brooks Koepka vs Harold Varner III
• Singles: Peter Uihlein vs James Piot

Majesticks GC vs Iron Heads GC

• Foursomes: Sam Horsfield and Henrik Stenson vs Sadom Kaewkanjana and Phachara Khongwatmai
• Singles: Ian Poulter vs Kevin Na
• Singles: Lee Westwood vs Sihwan Kim

Torque GC vs Cleeks GC

• Foursomes: Adrian Otaegui and Scott Vincent vs Graeme McDowell and Richard Bland
• Singles: Joaquin Niemann vs Martin Kaymer
• Singles: Jediah Morgan vs Laurie Canter

HY Flyers GC vs Punch GC

• Foursomes: Bernd Wiesberger and Cameron Tringale vs Matt Jones and Wade Ormsby
• Singles: Phil Mickelson vs Cameron Smith
• Singles: Matt Wolff vs Marc Leishman

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Rory McIlroy’s 23rd PGA Tour title and third of the year sees him return to world No 1 for a ninth time; the reigning FedExCup champion carded a final-round 67 to claim a one-shot win and make a winning start to his 2022-23 season

Rory McIlroy will move back to world No 1 for the first time since 2020 after completing an impressive title defence at the CJ Cup in South Carolina.

McIlroy carded a brilliant four-under 67 on the final day at Congaree Golf Club, with four birdies in a five-hole stretch on his back nine helping him pull clear of the chasing pack.

The four-time major champion finished a shot clear of playing partner Kurt Kitayama, despite bogeying his final two holes, with KH Lee claiming third spot ahead of Jon Rahm and Tommy Fleetwood.

McIlroy had already won the RBC Canadian Open and the Tour Championship during an impressive 2022

McIlroy’s third win of the year and 23rd PGA Tour title sees him become the first FedExCup champion to begin his PGA Tour season with a victory since Tiger Woods in 2008, with his latest success also leapfrogging him above Scottie Scheffler at the top of the world rankings.

More to follow…

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Keegan Bradley wins fifth PGA Tour title of his career and first since 2018 with one-shot triumph over Rickie Fowler and Andrew Putnam at Zozo Championship in Japan; overnight leader Fowler fades and remains without a victory on the PGA Tour since February 2019

Keegan Bradley secured his first PGA Tour victory in four years at the Zozo Championship as fellow American Rickie Fowler’s title drought extended.

Bradley – previously winless since the 2018 BMW Championship – shot a two-under-par 68 to end on 15 under for the tournament and scoop close to $2 million.

Overnight leader Fowler finished on 14 under after a level round of 70, with Andrew Putnam also on 14 under after a final-round 68 at the Narashino Country Club in Japan.

Bradley poses with the trophy in Japan after edging Rickie Fowler and Andrew Putnam by one shot

It is closing in on four years since Fowler claimed the most recent of his five PGA Tour successes – the Waste Management Phoenix Open in February 2019.

The 33-year-old led Bradley by two strokes and Putnam by one going into the final round and the trio each headed the field during different stages of Sunday’s action.

Fowler led after round three but was unable to go on and secure a first victory since February 2019

Bradley surged two clear following a 20-foot birdie putt at the 11th before Putnam moved level with his countryman at the 16th.

However, Bradley – the 2011 PGA champion – re-established a two-stroke advantage at the 17th as he bagged a birdie and Putnam recorded a bogey.

Putnam’s birdie on the last was not enough as Bradley made par to earn a fifth PGA Tour crown.

Bradley said afterwards: “It’s why I practice so hard. Things aren’t easy for me normally, so the birdie on the 17th was one of the best holes of my life.

“This is so special. I played in the final group here when Tiger Woods won here [in 2019]. I’m so proud to win this tournament.”

Fowler’s hopes of a sixth PGA Tour victory faded when he bogeyed the 15th before wasting a birdie chance at the next with another disappointing putt.

He did birdie the 18th, though, to finish tied for second with Putnam – one shot ahead of Emiliano Grillo (13 under) and two above Viktor Hovland, Sahith Theegala and Hayden Buckley (12 under).

Watch more PGA Tour action live on Sky Sports Golf from 8pm on Thursday as the CJ Cup begins in South Carolina. Rory McIlroy won that event in 2021.

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Keith Pelley, chief executive of the European Tour group, said: “Our net zero commitment shows that through Golf for Good we are serious about environmental responsibility and the role we can play”

The European Tour group has become the first professional golf tour to announce its commitment towards net zero carbon emissions.

The group has become a signatory to the United Nations Sports for Climate Action Framework and the Framework’s Race to Zero pledge, which requires all signatories to commit to reduce direct emissions by 50 per cent by 2030 and achieving net zero by 2040.

The Sports for Climate Action Framework was created by the United Nations and made for sports organisations and their stakeholders to tackle climate change through a set of five principles.

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Climate change is threatening sport. Sky Zero and Sky Sports are helping fans take action against the climate crisis so there is always a place to play

Those principles are: Undertaking systematic efforts to promote greater environmental sustainability, reducing overall climate impact, educating for climate action, promoting sustainable and responsible consumption, as well advocating for climate action through communication.

It will be a key focus of Golf for Good, the European Tour group’s commitment to Driving Golf Further in an environmentally and socially sustainable way, ensuring the Tour has a positive long-term impact on the courses, countries and the communities it visits.

Keith Pelley, chief executive of the European Tour group, said: “The group’s DP World Tour is a global brand with millions of followers, so we have a clear responsibility and opportunity to use our platforms in the right way.

“Our net zero commitment shows that through Golf for Good we are serious about environmental responsibility and the role we can play.

“Our staff and leadership, under the guidance of our Head of Sustainability, are determined to ensure we fully meet all our pledges, and we appreciate the support of our expert partners and advisers in helping us do so. Of course, we also invite our partners and stakeholders to join us in making effective change.”

Becoming a signatory to the United Nations Sports for Climate Action Framework is the logical next step in the Tour’s Green Drive initiative, which has grown in scale and impact over several years and was re-launched on World Environment Day last year.

The most recent Sustainability Strategy further aligns Green Drive with the Tour’s wider Golf for Good programme to create a new, holistic approach to sustainable development – on and through the Tour.

Lindita Xhaferi Salihu, UN Sports for Climate Action Lead, added her support: “The Sports for Climate Action Framework is about driving sports to net zero emissions no later than 2040 in line with keeping the global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees.

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Two-time major winner Suzann Pettersen warns that some golf courses could go under as a result of climate change

“It is no small or easy undertaking, but to safeguard the future of sport, we all must all join hands and efforts to win the race against climate change. We look forward to working with the Tour alongside other signatories to set the pace for climate action and achieve the ambitious goals we have set for the Sports for Climate Action community.”

Jonathan Smith, executive director of the non-profit GEO Foundation for Sustainable Golf, the delivery partner to the European Tour group’s Green Drive programme, added: “Over the last 12 months there has been a significant upscaling of commitment, resourcing and action across the European Tour group – led by the board.

“We are delighted to help guide the ongoing development of the Tour’s emissions reduction strategy; support effective delivery; and track progress through externally accredited programmes and tools developed over many years for this specific purpose.”

Jodi Ewart Shadoff is yet to find a win in the LPGA Championship; She carded eight-under-par 64 on day one of the Mediheal Championship; Alison Lee and Ruixin Liu are tied for second

England’s Jodi Ewart Shadoff, a 34-year-old veteran still looking for her first career LPGA Tour win, holds a two-shot lead after the first round of the LPGA Mediheal Championship on Thursday.

​​​​Ewart Shadoff carded an eight-under-par 64 at The Saticoy Club while Alison Lee and China’s Ruixin Liu are tied for second at 66, with Danielle Kang, South Africa’s Paula Reto and Thailand’s Atthaya Thitikul sharing fourth place at 67.

Ten players are tied for seventh place at 68.

Ewart Shadoff has finished in the top 10 on tour 27 times, including this year at the LPGA Match-Play when she tied for fifth and the ShopRite LPGA Classic when she finished third.

On Thursday, she started on the back nine and opened with a birdie, then added an eagle at the par-five 14th hole.

She made the turn following consecutive birdies, then had her lone bogey of the day at the par-four first hole before finishing hot and making four straight birdies ahead of a closing par.

Lee’s bogey-free round concluded with four birdies on the front nine.

“I feel like I was hitting it really good all day today,” Lee said.

“I feel like I pretty much hit all my shots in makeable birdie range.

“I could have made a lot more…. I just feel like I played really awesome today.

“I would say it’s not a super easy course. It felt easy today obviously because I played so well. Other than that, you definitely need to think a little bit when you hit your approach shots and really need to keep in mind where the pin is and where the slopes are, too.”

Liu was one over par through five holes, but a string of four consecutive birdies straddling the turn sparked her bogey-free run for the rest of the round.

Kang produced a strong round in her homecoming to Ventura County, where she grew up.

“All my friends aren’t out here yet, so I’ll let you know when they all come,” Kang said.

“My brother coming is a big deal for me, because I love it when he watches.

“He’s kind of my big teacher. He always knows how my game works.

“Today, he’s going to tell me what went well and what didn’t, and I learn from that.”

Defending champion Matilda Castren of Finland, who established the event’s scoring record of 14-under 274 while beating Taiwan’s Min Lee by two shots last year, is tied for 71st after a one-over 73. Lee is tied for 39th at one-under

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