SHANGHAI — Arpichaya Yubol shot a bogey-free 8-under 64 on Thursday to take a one-stroke lead after the primary spherical of the LPGA’s Shanghai event.
The Thai participant, whose career-best spherical is a 61, had 4 birdies on every of the back and front nines on the Qizhong Backyard Golf Membership.
Minjee Lee, who gained the Girls’s PGA Championship in June for her third main title, was in a gaggle of 5 a stroke behind. Jenny Shin, Jenny Bae, Jeeno Thitikul and Ina Yoon additionally shot 65s.
Lee mentioned she navigated the troublesome bumpy greens at Qizhong the very best she may along with her broomstick-style putter. A lot of the greens are brown and patchy as a result of excessive warmth and humidity of Shanghai.
“I really feel like with how the greens are, the situations, I managed fairly nicely to make, what, seven birdies, so it was good day for me,” Lee mentioned.
Ashleigh Buhai, the 2022 Girls’s British Open champion, shot 68. Defending champion Ruoning Yin had a 71.
The Shanghai occasion is the primary of 5 tournaments in Asia. There’s two weeks in South Korea, together with the Worldwide Crown workforce occasion, and tournaments in Malaysia and Japan.
Final week, Youmin Hwang extended the incredible streak on the LPGA Tour of getting totally different winners at every of the 25 official tournaments this 12 months. Hwang was the sixth participant from South Korea to win on tour this 12 months.
