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Lexi Thompson Shoots 68 To Take 1st-Round Lead At The Women’s PGA Championship

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SAMMAMISH, Washington – Lexi Thompson anticipated a question after shooting a 4-under 68 on Thursday to take the first-round lead in the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.

Would winning a major title alter her decision to retire from full-time LPGA Tour play?

“I’m just taking things one day at a time. I made the announcement. I’m quite pleased with it,” Thompson stated. “Golf is a crazy game, so I’m not going to look too far ahead.”

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Thomson AP Image

Lexi Thompson Shoots 68 To Take 1st-Round Lead At The Women’s PGA Championship

Thompson had six birdies on her way to a one-shot lead over Nelly Korda and Patty Tavatanakit.

Teeing off in the afternoon as temperatures soared into the 80s and dried up Sahalee Country Club, Thompson started strong with three consecutive birdies to begin her round, building on her loss in a playoff at the Meijer LPGA Classic the previous week.

Thompson, 29, who recently announced her retirement after the season, blasted a bogey-free 32 on the front nine, highlighted with a 6-foot birdie on the par-3 ninth. Thompson rallied from a bogey at No. 10 with birdies at Nos. 12 and 14 before another bogey at No. 16.

In June 2019, she won the ShopRite LPGA Classic, her last of 11 LPGA Tour victories. The 68 is her lowest major round since a 67 in the second round of the Women’s PGA at Congressional two years ago.

“My approach shots felt great,” Thompson added. “They felt really good last week, so just trying to simplify things and get in a rhythm with my swing.”

Korda shot 69 in the morning, while Tavatanakit tied it in the afternoon with a bogey-free round.

The top-ranked Korda missed the cut in her past two starts, the U.S. Women’s Open and the Meijer LPGA Classic, after winning six of seven events in a row, beginning with a record-tying five straight wins.

Korda started on the back nine, making four birdies in her first five holes. However, the Douglass fir, red cedar, and hemlock trees of Sahalee sometimes made it difficult for Korda. A double bogey on the par-4 fourth hole brought her back to two under.

“If you try and be aggressive when you’ve hit it offline, it just bites you in the butt,” according to Korda. “Overall, I played fairly well. I took my chances when I could and stayed safe for most of the round.

Korda took an early lead by making a 15-foot putt on the par-3 ninth hole, her final shot.

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Thompson AP Image

Lexi Thompson Shoots 68 To Take 1st-Round Lead At The Women’s PGA Championship

Another group of players at two under included Allisen Corpuz, Celine Boutier, Charley Hull, and Leona Maguire. Maguire led this tournament after the third round last year at Baltusrol but shot 74 on the final day to finish four strokes behind the champion, Ruoning Yin.

Playing with Korda, Yin recovered from a slow start by shooting 33 on the second nine to finish 71.

“Fortunately, I hit it quite straight today. Hit several fairways and greens. But it does feel like a course where if you’re out of position, it’s difficult to get back on track,” said Corpuz, who has an outside chance of making the Olympics for the United States if he finishes well this week.

The third major of the year on the LPGA Tour returned to Sahalee, which had previously hosted in 2016. And the tree-lined course demonstrated its complexity.

Lilia Vu, who won last week on her comeback from a back injury, shot 75. Yuka Saso, who won the U.S. Open three weeks ago, hit four straight bogeys on the back nine and finished at 2-over 74. Brooke Henderson, who won in 2016, scored 73.

Lexi Thompson Shoots 68 To Take 1st-Round Lead At The Women’s PGA Championship

Korda got off to a much better start than her previous major, when she shot 80 in the first round of the U.S. Women’s Open three weeks earlier.

Korda’s early run of birdies included three straight between Nos. 13 and 15, and she finished in 33. She advanced to 4 under after birdieing the third hole, her 12th of the day, then dropped two strokes on the fourth.

“This entire golf course is so demanding,” Korda added. “I had to make some pretty good up-and-downs.”

SOURCE – (AP)

Kiara Grace is a staff writer at VORNews, a reputable online publication. Her writing focuses on technology trends, particularly in the realm of consumer electronics and software. With a keen eye for detail and a knack for breaking down complex topics.