Thursday, the third major of the season opened with beautiful blue skies and ideal scoring conditions at Kemper Lakes Golf Club.
Jessica Korda, 25, took advantage with a 5-under, 67 to share the lead with Jaye Marie Green after the morning wave at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. Korda, a five-time LPGA winner, started strong with three birdies over her first five holes. She ended strong with birdies at both 14 and 15 and pars on the much talked about "gauntlet" of finishing holes of 16, 17 and 18. She made a nice up and down on 17 after missing the green long and left with her tee shot on the par-3 and then again got up and down to save par on 18.
"It was great," said Korda after her round. "Finally, a golf course that benefits the long hitters. The last couple weeks it's definitely been a lot of 3-woods or even 4-irons off the tees, so this is really, really nice."
Korda won the Honda LPGA Thailand to start her season and has four top 10 finishes this year. She's in search of her first career major title. After playing well at the ANA Inspiration, Korda missed the cut at the U.S. Women's Open.
"I haven't had the best last couple of weeks," said Korda, who has missed the cut in two of her last three starts. "I've kind of just been burning every edge. I'm just trying to stay patient. Every week is different. It's kind of just one day at a time."
Green made birdie on nine, her final hole of the day, to match Korda at 5-under. Green made four birdies over her final ten holes and hit 13 of 14 fairways. Her putter was excellent as she made it around in just 25 strokes.
"I love majors because it doesn't make you feel like you have to birdie so many holes," said Green, who is No.163 in the Rolex Rankings. "It makes you feel like you can be kind of chill and play and let the birdies come to you, whereas other tournaments, like when 25-under wins, it's a little stressful. I like more of the grind, where you can make a bogey every now and then and it's okay."
Charley Hull, 22, made a clutch late birdie on the signature 17th to match Korda at 5-under, but found the hazard with her approach on 18 and made bogey. The No. 25 ranked player in the world made an eagle at the par 5 fourth hole to highlight her round.
"I played pretty well," said Hull. "I just slipped quite a few times on a few shots, but I felt like I putted quite well, I hit it quite well, and a decent day, apart from bogeying the last, but it was a good day."
Israel’s Laetitia Beck, who sprained her ankle last week and is still feeling the effects, is also one off the lead at 4-under. Beck was bogey-free and made three of her four birdies on her inward nine.
"Last year I was a little bit uncomfortable with the swing and a little stressed over the ball," said Beck, whose only top ten this year came at the season opener. "My main goal is be free, just let it happen."
Minjee Lee, who lead for most of the morning and into the early afternoon, dropped back to 3-under. She made four birdies on her first nine, but made bogey two of her last three holes.
U.S. Women’s Open champion Ariya Jutanugarn opened with a round of Even par, 72. Defending champion Danielle Kang, who dealt with a stomachache and even threw up during her round, finished at 1-over, while the No. 1 ranked player in the world, Inbee Park, also carded a 73. Mom-to-be Stacy Lewis made three birdies in a row late in her round to manage a 2-under, 70.
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