Maguire and Meadow make slow start as Taiwan's Chien leads Chevron Championship

CHIEN PEIYUN OF Taiwan used a late birdie burst to take the first-round lead on Thursday at the LPGA Chevron Championship, the first women’s golf major of the year.

Chien, ranked 189th in the world, overshadowed a host of big names with a sparkling five-under par 67 on the Jack Nicklaus Signature course at Carlton Woods in suburban Houston — the new home of a tournament that had been played in Rancho Mirage, California, for 51 years.

However it was a disappointing start for both Leona Maguire and Stephanie Meadow.

Maguire carded one birdie and five bogeys as she shot a four-over par 76, with Meadow a further shot back on five-over after shooting four-birdies, six bogeys, and taking eight shots on the par-five fourth.

Chien teed off on the 10th hole and after birdies at 17 and 18 gave a stroke back with her lone bogey of the day at the first.

She bounced back with birdies at the fourth, fifth and sixth, adding one more birdie at the eighth, giving herself an early clubhouse lead that stood up to all challengers.

She was one stroke in front of a group of seven players that included world number two Nelly Korda and fellow Americans Lilia Vu and Marina Alex along with South Korean Chella Choi, Japan’s Ayaka Furue, and Australian Stephanie Kyriacou — who holed out for eagle at the 18th for her share of second on 68.

“I was a little bit shocked to be honest,” Kyriacou admitted. “I’ve never had a hole-out in a professional tournament, so I guess that was pretty cool.”

American Angel Yin was alone in eighth on 69 — with 14 more players a stroke back on 70.

Chien said a “really good wedge shot” launched her late burst at the fourth.

“I hit a six-foot putt and then the next hole I made a 30-foot birdie. The next hole I hit a nine-iron to the green, hit it to, like, six feet and made another good putt.”

It wasn’t quite what she was expecting when she was doing her final prep work for the opening round.

“I saw the pin sheet last night, and I can’t sleep,” said Chien, who arrived in Texas off a tie for fourth at the Lotte Championship in Hawaii.

“It feels so hard,” she said. “I think we did very well today.”

Among the nine past champions in the field, world number one Lydia Ko of New Zealand had four birdies and three bogeys in a one-under par 71.

“I actually drove the ball really well,” Ko said. “I think from the fairway onwards it wasn’t my sharpest, but to start off at under par I think is a good way to start this week.”

Thailand’s Patty Tavatanakit, who won the title in 2021, also signed for a 71 as did two-time major winners Brooke Henderson of Canada and Ariya Jutanugarn of Thailand.

Defending champion Jennifer Kupcho, who was among the afternoon starters whose rounds were disrupted by a weather delay of about an hour, opened with an even par 72 and was part of a group sharing 37th that also included 2019 champion Ko Jin-young of South Korea, ranked third in the world.

Korda said the course was softer after the rain, mostly around the greens “where typically if it was a little burnt out I would have hit a bump-and-run, where now I wasn’t sure if that was going to react the way it normally would.”

Korda finished with seven birdies and three bogeys to put herself in contention.

“I took advantage of the par-fives today,” she said. “I think I birdied them all, so that was important, as I’m a bit of a longer hitter. Overall I played pretty well. It was nice to finish the way I did with just a tap-in birdie.”

– © AFP 2023

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