Haeran Ryu shot an impressive 6-under 64 in the first round of The Annika, establishing herself as the leader in the prestigious tournament. That exceptional work was performed on the beautiful grounds of Lake Nona Golf and Country Club in Orlando, Florida. Ryu’s round featured a dazzling run of four straight birdies from holes 4 to 7 on her back nine.
The world’s top LPGA Tour player displayed just how remarkable that talent is. She won for the third time in her career on the Black Desert Championship in Utah last May. Ryu expressed her satisfaction with her game, stating, “My shot is good and putter is good and everything.” She continued, “I’m really happy to finish … with many birdies.”
Immediately behind Ryu on the leaderboard is Grace Kim of Australia, who opened the first round with a blistering 65. Coloradan Jennifer Kupcho and Brit Charley Hull were both excellent, firing 66 and 67 on the par-71 course. Hull, who had recently recovered from an illness that hindered her participation in a pro-am event, reflected on her performance, saying, “I played pretty solid considering I didn’t get here until Tuesday night and had to pull out of the pro-am yesterday because I felt sick.”
Nelly Korda, the winner of last year’s championship, became the first female player to win seven times in a season. She launched her campaign this year with a personal round of 71. Korda finished her card with 17 pars and a bogey on the par-4 ninth.
Six others joined McCarthy in the clubhouse as co-leaders on the first day, all posting 67 to match McCarthy’s output. This group included Leona Maguire, Somi Lee, and Mao Saigo, all showcasing their skills as they aim for top positions in the tournament.
As it turned out, though, Kai Trump, granddaughter of former President Donald Trump, struggled mightily in her LPGA Tour debut. This truly distinguishes her from the frontrunners in the race. Her professional debut was a rough one as she placed dead last in the 108-player field with a score of 83. Trump acknowledged her nerves, saying, “I was definitely more nervous than I expected, but I thought I hit a lot of great shots out there.” She noted, “I hit a lot of good shots just to the wrong spots,” highlighting her determination to learn from this experience.
With the tournament in full swing, players will be doing all they can to increase their ranks. They’re all hungry to chase down number one Ryu, who tops The Annika after a flawless round one showing.
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