Kildare’s Lauren Walsh had a topsy turvy route to her even-par 72 in the first round of the LPGAs Riviera Maya Open in Mexico, as the 25-year-old sits six back from the lead after round one.
Starting on the back nine, Walsh seemed to pair each birdie with a following bogey, going birdie-bogey on the 11th and 12th and again on the 16th and 17th.
Taking the turn at even-par, again Waslh went birdie-bogey at the first and second before making a four at the par-5 fifth. An error at final hole forced Walsh to make bogey as she heads into the second round at Playa Del Carmen in T43.
Antrim’s Stephanie Meadow struggled to score well in the windy conditions, making four bogeys and two birdies on the front nine. Bogeys seemed to plague Meadows back nine also, but the 34-year-old picked up some tidy birdies to limit the damage as she sits three-over-par after 18-holes in T85.
USA’s Melanie Green shares the lead with Brianna Do as both posted a six-under-par 66. An ace for Green at the par-3 15th gave the 24-year-old the surprise of a lifetime as she didn’t realise it went in.
“I was like, ‘OK, great shot. Phenomenal.’ Grab the putter — normally hit the green, grab the putter, it’s a cool effect.’ Then we’re walking up and I’m looking at the green. There is no ball,” Green said.
She was momentarily embarrassed by having to hand her caddie the putter and take a wedge to chip. Her caddie repaired the pitch mark, glanced in the hole and saw her golf ball, which he knew by it being marked with a cross.
“I walk up there and all I could see was the cross. I was so excited,” Green said. “Yeah, thought I just went way left. But whatever. Good bounce.”
Green was six-under-par through nine holes before closing out her round with a birdie at the 17th, followed by a bogey at the last.
Do was first off in the afternoon, before the wind reached full strength, and opened with four birdies in five holes. She also dropped a shot at No. 9, then played the back nine bogey-free with a trio of birdies to join Green.
“I think for some reason playing in the wind helps me kind of just play golf, instead of like playing a golf swing,” Do said.
Korda returned to No. 1 in the women’s world ranking last week at The Chevron Championship, a performance so dominant she led over the final 57 holes and won by five. Korda sits T4 on four-under.
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