Park claims first-round lead at Women's PGA Championship

[June 29, 2018]  South Korea's Sung Hyun Park got off to a fast start Thursday and completed a bogey-free round of 6-under-par 66 to lead after one round at the KPMG Women's PGA Championship in Kildeer, Ill.

Brittany Altomare, Jaye Marie Green, Jessica Korda and Canada's Brooke M. Henderson sit in a tie for second one stroke back, while Thailand's Moriya Jutanugarn, England's Charley Hull, Israel's Laetitia Beck and Canada's Maude-Aimee Leblanc are tied for sixth at 4 under in a tightly packed leaderboard.

The world's sixth-ranked player, Park birdied No. 1 and added three more between Nos. 4-7, making the turn at 4-under 32. She also made birdie at the 10th and 15th, finishing 3 under on the four par-5s on the day.

"The course was pretty wet today, but I felt pretty comfortable today," Park said afterward, through a translator. "The course is long and difficult, and I think it's pretty big benefit for the long hitter."

Park, who was the 2017 Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year, is trying to become the first reigning rookie of the year to win the event.

Henderson began her day on the back nine with consecutive bogeys and remained 2 over through eight holes. But a birdie at No. 9 kick-started a blistering run, as it was the first of seven birdies over the final 10 holes, including two stretches of three straight birdies. She finished with a 30 on the front nine.

"It was a really rough start, not what I was looking for at all," Henderson said afterward. "But I hit it close on my ninth hole of the day, made a 4-footer, got back to 1 over. I was feeling pretty confident going into the back nine. Just trying to hit it close and make a lot of birdies.

In three career appearances at the event, Henderson has three top-five finishes, including a 2016 victory.

Altomare, Green and Korda each tallied six birdies and one bogey. Korda's round marked a personal best at the event, and only her second round in the 60s.

Of the four players tied for sixth, only Beck made it through her round bogey-free. Five players sit at 3 under in a tie for 10th, and 17 more are at 2 under.

World No. 1 Inbee Park is in a tie for 71st after shooting 1-over 73, along with defending champion Danielle Kang.

Two players had aces on the day, but neither is closer than five strokes back of the lead. Canada's Brittany Marchand, who aced the 17th, is at 1 under, while Lexi Thompson is even par after holing out at No. 6.

--Field Level Media

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