In her first round since being selected as one of Juli Inkster’s two captain’s picks for the United States Solheim Cup team, Brittany Lang issued validation of Inkster’s confidence with a first-round 7-under-par 65 that has her leading a trio of 67s – Tiffany Joh, Sydnee Michaels and Ryann O’Toole – by two shots.
Lang posted birdies on five of her first seven and was 7-under par through 12 holes and looked like she might challenge the course record until she posted bogeys on 13 and 14.
“It was just one of those days. It was so enjoyable,” Lang said. “I wasn’t thinking about a whole lot. You know, I was just super committed to seeing my shots, it was so much fun.”
Even the bogeys on 13 and 14 were small misses, she said, and she responded with birdies on 16 and 17 to tie her best round of the year.
“I played pretty flawless golf,” Lang said. “Even when I was making pars, I was burning the edge from 10 feet. Every hole I was right there. The birdies on 16 and 17 were pretty big after the bogeys on 13 and 14. Kind of, I mean not stupid bogeys, small misses, but I stayed aggressive so I was excited with that.”
Lang has held at least a share of the first-round lead six times in her career but has never been able to close it out. She last held a share of the lead after a 66 at the first round of the 2015 Honda LPGA Thailand but faded to a 73 in the second round and finished in a tie for 13th. Lang nearly got her second win of her career, though, earlier this season at the Manulife Financial LPGA Classic with a final-round 65 but Suzann Pettersen birdied two of her last three holes to beat Lang by one shot.
“I’m in a really nice place right now,” Lang said. “I had one of my better years I’ve ever had, the Solheim pick’s over with. I’m just in a really comfortable place, so I just felt really relaxed out there.”
The trio behind Lang certainly has a lot to play for as all would be on the alternate list for the Asian event with Michaels (65th), O’Toole (76th) and Joh (90th) all outside of the top 62 on the money list with only one more event to go before the commitment deadline. All also need to be inside the top 72 on the money list to get into the end-of-season CME Group Tour Championship, so the next two events will solely decide their schedule for the next three months.
Hyo Joo Kim, Ariya Jutanugarn, Therese Koelbaek, Julieta Granada, and Simin Feng are all in a tie for fifth after 4-under-par 68s. Lexi Thompson, the 2011 champion, is in a tie for 10th after a 3-under-par 69 and world No. 3 Stacy Lewis is five shots back after a 2-under-par 70. Defending champion M.J. Hur shot a 2-over par 74.
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