The last time Denmark native Emily Kristine Pedersen was in the greater Toledo area, she and the rest of the European team were celebrating their second consecutive Solheim Cup win, victorious on U.S. soil for the first time since 2013 at Colorado Golf Club. Through round one at the Dana Open presented by Marathon, Pedersen is keeping the good memories rolling, firing a 5-under 66 to open her week at Highland Meadows Golf Club.
“Everyone was absolutely amazing at the Solheim, and people are still congratulating us on the European win is great. We obviously have a lot of good memories from here, and I hope we can just keep making good memories this week,” said Pedersen, who made six birdies and one bogey on Thursday. “Five under is always a good round. I played some solid golf out there today and dropped a few good putts, but also left some out there. Hoping to keep it going.”
Pedersen’s 66 marks her lowest opening round on the LPGA Tour since the 2021 Amundi Evian Championship and it’s also her lowest score of the 2022 season. The 26-year-old is consistently one of the Tour’s longest hitters – she ranked fourth in average driving distance ahead of this week – and said that it’s hard to keep the big dog in the bag around this golf course. But that self-restraint seems to be paying off, and if Pedersen keeps hitting nine of 14 fairways and shooting in the 60s, she surely won’t miss her driver too much.
“I think you mentally have to – or I at least have to – mentally know I can't just bomb the driver everywhere. I have to lay it up places,” said Pedersen who averaged 282.50 yards off the tee on day one. “I like my driver. I always want to hit it. It's too high of a risk on many holes here. So just I think mentally prepare that that's what we're doing, and even though it seems weird to hit a 4-iron or hybrid off the tee, that's the smart play.”
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