Beatriz Recari, Ryann O’Toole, and Giulia Sergas are co-leaders after the first round of the Wegmans LPGA Championship at Locust Hill Country Club.
Recari, from Pamplona, Spain, and O’Toole, from California, and Sergas, from Italy, each fired a 3-under-par 69. Rescari played in the morning round as O’Toole and Sergas were in the final groups in the afternoon round.
Recari birdied the 11th, 16th, 17th, and 7th holes, and she bogied the 15th hole. She nearly birdied her final hole, the 9th, “but the ball broke just a little too much for the speed I had,” she said.
Recari is in her third year on the LPGA tour, and this is her third year at Locust Hill.
“This course fits me perfectly because it’s so narrow,” Recari said. “That the advantage that I have over the rest of the players. I give myself more fairways so I can be more aggressive on the second shot, and give myself more birdie opportunities.
“It all came together today so I’m very, very pleased.”
In 23 events, Recari has made 19 cuts. Her best finish was a tie for 11th at the ShopRite LPGA Classic in 2011. She also carded a career-low round of 65 there.
O’Toole came up short on birdie puts on the 8th and 9th holes, which were her final two holes of the day.
Sergas birdied the 18th hole to move into the three-way tie for first.
“My day was really long as I teed off last,” Sergas said. “The key was good putting.”
Seven golfers are tied in second place, one shot behind. Included that group are Americans Cristie Kerr, from Miami, FL., and Paula Creamer, from Pleasanton, CA.
Kerr was at 3-under through 16 holes. She started on the 1st hole, however, Kerr bodied the 17th hole to drop to 2-under-par. She saved par on the 18th as her second shot landed on the upgrade behind the green. She did a nice pitch shot, and kept the ball above the hole, for the easy tap-in for par.
Kerr won the Wegman LPGA Championship here in 2010.
The rough this year, however, is significantly more difficult to play than the two previous years.
“It’s just eating up the golf balls,” Kerr said. “If you’re two inches in the rough this week it’s going to be very penalizing. You’re not going to hit greens this week if you don’t hit fairways.
Beatriz Recari, Ryann O’Toole, and Giulia Sergas are co-leaders after the first round of the Wegmans LPGA Championship at Locust Hill Country Club.
Recari, from Pamplona, Spain, and O’Toole, from California, and Sergas, from Italy, each fired a 3-under-par 69. Rescari played in the morning round as O’Toole and Sergas were in the final groups in the afternoon round.
Recari birdied the 11th, 16th, 17th, and 7th holes, and she bogied the 15th hole. She nearly birdied her final hole, the 9th, “but the ball broke just a little too much for the speed I had,” she said.
Recari is in her third year on the LPGA tour, and this is her third year at Locust Hill.
“This course fits me perfectly because it’s so narrow,” Recari said. “That the advantage that I have over the rest of the players. I give myself more fairways so I can be more aggressive on the second shot, and give myself more birdie opportunities.
“It all came together today so I’m very, very pleased.”
In 23 events, Recari has made 19 cuts. Her best finish was a tie for 11th at the ShopRite LPGA Classic in 2011. She also carded a career-low round of 65 there.
O’Toole came up short on birdie puts on the 8th and 9th holes, which were her final two holes of the day.
Sergas birdied the 18th hole to move into the three-way tie for first.
“My day was really long as I teed off last,” Sergas said. “The key was good putting.”
Seven golfers are tied in second place, one shot behind. Included that group are Americans Cristie Kerr, from Miami, FL., and Paula Creamer, from Pleasanton, CA.
Kerr was at 3-under through 16 holes. She started on the 1st hole, however, Kerr bodied the 17th hole to drop to 2-under-par. She saved par on the 18th as her second shot landed on the upgrade behind the green. She did a nice pitch shot, and kept the ball above the hole, for the easy tap-in for par.
Kerr won the Wegman LPGA Championship here in 2010.
The rough this year, however, is significantly more difficult to play than the two previous years.
“It’s just eating up the golf balls,” Kerr said. “If you’re two inches in the rough this week it’s going to be very penalizing. You’re not going to hit greens this week if you don’t hit fairways.
“I felt great mentally out there. It was a great start.”
Also at 2-under-par from the morning round were Se Ri Pak and Na Yeon Choi, both from South Korea.
Pak is a surprise returnee as she suffered a dislocated shoulder in April, but did not require surgery.
“I started practicing about two weeks ago,” she said. “I wasn’t sure when I was coming back, but I practiced on Tuesday and it felt right. I feel 100 percent.
“I’m not really rushing to come out early.”
The 2006 Wegmans LPGA champion, Joeng Jang, from South Korea, hit an eagle on the 1st hole in the afternoon round, to go 3-under-par, the birdied the second and fourth holes to go 5-under-par, but bogies on the 5th, 6th, and 7th holes brought here back to 2-under-par where she ended the day in a tie for second place after the first round.
Coming into her final hole, the 9th, Jeong was tied for first at 3-under-par, but three putted as she fell into a seven-way tie for second.
“This course is really tough,” Jeong said. “I want to hit the fairway and I want to hit the green. The rough is really long this year. You don't want to miss the fairway.”
“Round One is just to get yourself in position,” Creamer said. “The golf is playing tough and playing hard. It’s pretty rare when you can hit the green from the rough. It’s tough, and that’s what a major should be.
This golf course has always been a narrow driving hole, but the rough is so much thicker than it has been in the past.
“I didn’t hit as many fairways as I wanted today, but I made some good birdies.”
Defending Wegmans LPGA Championship winner, Yani Tseng, the LPGA Tour Player of the Year for the second straight year, had a rough outing with a 4-over-par 76.
Cheyenne Woods, Tigers Woods’ niece, fired a 3-over-par 75.
