LPGA Tour debutant Lauren Walsh faces a battle to make the cut after late bogeys scuppered what was turning into an impressive opening round at the Dana Open.
The Castlewarden woman opened her maiden professional start with twelve straight pars before her first move was a positive one as a birdie on the fourth moved her to one-under-par.
Unfortunately for Walsh she dropped three shots in her last five holes with bogeys coming on the fifth, seventh and ninth as she slipped to two-over alongside Stephanie Meadow in a share of 199th place.
Sweden’s Linn Grant shares the lead on seven-under with Thailand’s Jaravee Boonchant after rounds of 64 with Ariya Jutanugarn and Emily Kristine Pedersen a shot further back.
American sensation Rose Zhang is two shots off the pace after an opening 66.
“I think coming off last week — playing at Pebble, it was a challenge,” said Grant, who tied for 53rd in the U.S. Women’s Open.
“I felt last week that I really hit the ball well and I was putting well. Obviously, coming here, easier conditions. I think that kind of just suited my mindset for the day.”
Boonchant holed out from 128 yards for eagle on her second shot of the round and had a 7-under 64 on Thursday for a share of the first-round lead with Linn Grant in the LPGA Tour’s Dana Open.
“I was just like on the first cut and I was like, `OK, this shot, just anywhere on the green,'” Boonchant said about the eagle on No. 10. “… and the ball just happened to hit one bounce and hop in the hole.”
Boonchant also had seven birdies and two bogeys at Highland Meadows. The 24-year-old Thai player is winless on the LPGA Tour after helping Duke take the 2019 NCAA title. She missed the cut last week in the U.S. Women’s Open at Pebble Beach.
“My irons were really doing the work today and just put me in a position that I could have a chance to make a birdie,” Boonchant said. “My putter was rolling really well, too, so that really helped.”
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