One of the top Japanese amateurs, talented 23-year-old Akie Iwai scored an impressive double-eagle move to No. She got this monkey off her back at the LPGA Tour’s Lotte Championship, thanks to a surprising opening round of 8-under 64. She put on quite the show during her Hoakalei Country Club performance. Making the most of the fast morning conditions, she quickly opened a big gap on her challengers.
Iwai’s championship round started with a bang, as she opened up with birdies on three of her first four holes. Her strong start set the tone for the day, allowing her to navigate the course effectively and maintain her momentum throughout the round. After a breakout campaign last summer, Iwai is a highly talented third baseman. She notched seven wins, including a signature victory at the Portland Classic in August.
Nelly Korda, a well-known figure in women’s golf, opened her round in the afternoon with a score of 69. Korda got off to the right start, birdieing her first three holes. Despite the solid start, she struggled at the end of the round, closing with two bogeys and two more birdies.
“A little bit of an up-and-down round, but overall, happy to get it in at 3-under par,” – Nelly Korda
After her victory at the Kroger Queen City Championship only three weeks ago, Charley Hull is on fire coming into this tournament. She equaled Korda’s score with an equally impressive 69. With this kind of solid performance, she’s firmly in the hunt going forward as the tournament unfolds. Brooke Henderson, who had a share of the lead at one point, finished with a 70 in the afternoon wave.
A Lim Kim proved she’s back in form, shooting a sizzling 66. She hit four straight birdies on the back nine! Her excellent performance showed an impressive combination of tenacity and accuracy around the course.
The longer the tournament goes on, players can expect more unpredictable conditions. Ruffels mentioned the tricky afternoon winds that could be an issue.
“I feel like the defense of this golf course is the wind, so having an afternoon tee time tomorrow, I feel like it’s going to be a bit trickier and it might be tougher to shoot a lower number,” – Ruffels
Leave a Reply