Uehara Grabs First Round Lead With Record-Tying 62
Ayako Uehara of Japan shot a career-low 9-under 62 on Friday and tied the tournament course record at Pinnacle Country Club to take the first round lead at the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship Presented by P&G. Her bogey-free round put her out in front after 18 holes for the first time since the 2014 RICOH Women’s British Open. The fourth-year LPGA member had nine birdies on the day, with six of them coming in her final nine holes. She had a chip-in birdie on No. 1, her 10th hole of the day, to jumpstart her back-nine run.
“I got a chip in birdie today, and then, you know, the swing and putting, everything, of course I have the confidence now, so I’m going to keep it for the next two days,” said Uehara.
The 32-year old has had some struggles this year and started her 2016 campaign with five-consecutive missed cuts. Her best finish this year was T31 at the ShopRite LPGA Classic. She said she’s been trying to simplify things in her swing with coach Ian Triggs.
“Instead of like having some extra movement and everything, they take out everything and then just very straight swing,” said Uehara.
She’s trying to join Ha Na Jang, Haru Nomura, Jenny Shin and Ariya Jutanugarn as players to capture their first career victory in 2016.
Candie Kung sits in solo second at 7-under par and two shots back while a group of 14 players are in a tie for third at 6-under par including Morgan Pressel, So Yeon Ryu, Minjee Lee and Carlota Ciganda.
“I was having a lot of fun, and we had a good group of people that I like, and we all played very fast, so I think that helps, too, and we didn’t wait at all the whole round, so I think that helps, too,” said Kung.
World No. 1 Lydia Ko finished at 5-under par with a round that included four birdies, an eagle and one bogey. She played alongside University of Arkansas alum Stacy Lewis who finished with a 67 and sits in a tie for 23rd at 4-under par.
Ayako Uehara - LPGA Career Snapshot
Rookie Season: 2013
Rolex Ranking: 215
Career Earnings: $656,160
Top-10 Finishes: 3
Low Round: 62, RD. 1, 2016 Walmart NW Arkansas Championship
Best Finish: 3rd place, 2012 Mizuno Classic
*Has three international professional victories on the JLPGA
Added To The List
Ayako Uehara’s round of 62 will be added to the course record and will join Angela Park and Jane Park who both posted 62 in 2008.
| Player | Year | Round | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Angela Park | 2008 | Round 2 | 62 |
| Jane Park | 2008 | Round 3 | 62 |
| Ayako Uehara | 2016 | Round 1 | 62 |
Video Evidence
Ayako Uehara came into this week running on the positive image she created in 2013 when she made a hole-in-one on the 17th hole at Pinnacle Country – deemed ‘the loudest hole on Tour’ – and admitted she’s been watching the video on repeat and made sure she showed her caddie.
“Since I got here this year, I’ve been watching this video of this hole in one many times,” said Uehara.
Asked what the gallery’s reaction was to her ace, it was no surprise she received a warm reception when she walked to the green.
“It’s a really, really loud crowd,” Uehara said.
Phone A Friend
Candie Kung made a last-minute decision to drive up Tuesday to the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship Presented by P&G before shooting a 7-under 64 in today’s first round. Kung, who took all of last week off dealing with a health issue, called a friend to help on the bag as opposed to her normal caddy after deciding she felt well enough to play this week.
“I kind of waited until Tuesday to see how I felt, to be able to come up here,” said Kung. “So we drove up here and my friend is caddying for me this week. So it’s a last minute thing, and the fact that I can -- that I finished yesterday and today, 18 holes, I’m pretty proud of myself, just to get through 18 holes, because as of last week, I wasn’t going to be able to play.”
P.K.’s Switch Pays Off
Thailand’s P.K. Kongkraphan had missed the cut in her previous seven starts heading into last week’s Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give. In an effort to regain some confidence in her game, the No. 237 player in the Rolex Rankings made a switch to a whole new set of PXG irons. The result was a T9 finish, her first top-10 of the season and third of her career.
“Before last week, I switched my clubs for a whole set to try to play well,” Kongkraphan said. “I tried to get something new and make me confident with the iron.”
Kongkraphan is off to another hot start this week and is one of 14 players tied for third at 6-under after tying her low round of the season with a 65 on Friday.
Aced It
Haru Nomura didn’t get the celebration she quite imagined when she got her second career hole-in-one. Nomura used her 9-iron on the 11th hole from 132 yards but couldn’t see the ball land and thought she was in the greenside bunker.
“So I go, I check out green,” said Nomura. “So my ball is gone. So I look in the cup -- in!”
Last year, Nomura got her first hole in one at the Marathon Classic and won a Chevy Impala.
Numbers To Know
7 - Eagles recorded on Friday, with four coming on the par-5 18th
6 - Bogeys recorded on No. 18 in the first round; 18 ranks as the easiest hole for players thus far
13 - Hole-in-ones on Tour in 2016, all by different players; Japan’s Haru Nomura had a hole-in-one on No. 11 Friday
21 - Players within four shots of the lead after the first round
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