Arpichaya Yubol shot a remarkable bogey-free 8-under 64 on Thursday, securing a one-stroke lead after the first round of the LPGA’s Shanghai tournament. The spectacular and picturesque event was hosted at the Qizhong Garden Golf Club. In the final, Yubol wowed the judges with her precision and poise on the difficult course.
Yubol’s phenomenal performance featured a career-high eight birdies. The Thai golfer, who has shot 61 in her career as her best round, was doing a lot of things right en route to her round.
Hot on her heels was Australian star Minjee Lee, who fired a 65 to end the day just three strokes behind Yubol. Lee most recently won her third major title at the Women’s PGA Championship in June. She was particularly pleased with how she handled the very bumpy greens at Qizhong.
“I feel like with how the greens are, the conditions, I managed pretty well to make, what, seven birdies, so it was nice day for me,” – Minjee Lee
Of course, Lee wasn’t the only one to shine today. Other notable players included Jenny Shin, Jenny Bae, and Jeeno Thitikul who all capped off the first round with 65’s. Alongside Ruddy, Ina Yoon made the cut with an impressive 65. At the other end of the leaderboard, Ashleigh Buhai fired a 68 in the great escape, and Ruoning Yin finished with a 71.
The unique event has drawn plenty of players to the seasonal shenanigans as they tackle the subtly offsetting greens of Qizhong Garden Golf Club. And as a half-dozen contenders remained within shouting distance of Yubol’s advantage, the next few rounds are sure to serve up plenty more exciting golf drama.
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