GOLD CANYON, Ariz. — Alison Lee and Jenny Shin every reeled off 4 straight birdies in the course of their rounds and joined Gaby Lopez at 7-under 65 Thursday to share a one-stroke lead after the primary spherical of the LPGA Drive on Championship.
Lee, a 28-year-old American searching for her first tour win, birdied 4 of her first 5 holes and, after a bogey at No. 16, her seventh gap. She pieced collectively a 4 straight birdies and 5 within the subsequent six holes to succeed in 8 below at Superstition Mountain Golf Membership earlier than a bogey on her remaining gap dropped her right into a three-way tie for the highest spot of a crowded leaderboard.
Shin, a 30-year-old from South Korea searching for her first win since 2016, posted seven birdies from Nos. 8 by means of 18 to earn a share of the lead within the tour’s first full-field occasion of the season.
Lopez had a bogey-free spherical. The 29-year-old Mexican began on the again 9 and made the flip at 4-under par earlier than including three birdies on the entrance facet to tie for the lead.
Taiwan’s Wei-Ling Hsu and England’s Jodi Ewart Shadoff had been tied for fourth after opening 66s. Ten gamers are tied for sixth place at 5 below, as 114 golfers within the 142-player discipline carded a rating of even par or higher.
No. 2-ranked Nelly Korda and No. 3-ranked Jin Younger Ko opened with a 2-under 70s. Ko was a winner two weeks in the past in Singapore, the place she beat Korda by two strokes.
The occasion will debut the LPGA’s new minimize coverage. The minimize after 36 holes will embrace the highest 65 gamers and ties advancing to the weekend. Beforehand, the highest 70 gamers and ties superior to the ultimate rounds.
Sport notes
High-ranked Lydia Ko isn’t competing within the occasion. … Defending champion Leona Maguire was in a logjam of gamers at 2-under 70. … Danielle Kang withdrew from the occasion after 14 holes. She was at 2 over on the time. No cause was instantly given for Kang’s withdrawal.
