Four-time LPGA Tour winner Eun-Hee Ji debuted a new putting stroke on Thursday, one that clearly worked in her bogey-free round of 6-under 65. The native of the Republic of Korea, who won the 2009 U.S. Women’s Open, worked during the offseason to change the angle of her back while taking her putting stroke.
“I was forcing on the left side, but I'm trying to make it flatter more, make it straighter,” said Ji, who is happy that this first test of her new stroke was successful. “That makes me feel a lot different.”
KO LOVES BASEBALL PAIRING
Lydia Ko was all smiles after her opening-round 66 on Thursday, but it wasn’t only her performance on the course that had her in a good mood. Ko relished the opportunity to play alongside MLB legends Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez and A.J. Pierzynski during Thursday’s first round of the inaugural Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions.
After signing her scorecard Ko posed for photos with the pair and said the light-hearted nature of the event allowed her to calm her nerves. The results show on the leaderboard, as Ko sits just one stroke off the lead.
“I think it's hands down my favorite, the best pairing I've ever been in,” Ko said. “Ever since No. 1, Ivan and A.J. were so amazing. They were like, I don't want to get in your way, and I'm like, no, I don't want to get in your way. It was just so much fun, just with the whole setup here, it's definitely a really unique event for us.”
BABY STEPS FOR NEW MOM LEWIS
Today marked the first time that Stacy Lewis has walked 18 holes since giving birth in October. Her legs were certainly talking back to her following her opening-round 5-under 66.
“Those last two holes, having to wait like that, I was just trying to keep my legs moving and make sure I used them on the last couple of shots,” said Lewis with a laugh.
The 33-year-old Texan was all smiles after her round, one that she has been waiting for since becoming a mom to Chesnee Lynn on Oct. 25, 2018. Many golfers claim to have no expectations coming off a long layoff, and Lewis said she was “pleasantly surprised” about her first tournament round since the Marathon Classic in July.
“It's just exciting to see that I can take time off and have a baby and your golf swing still comes back,” said Lewis, who nailed an 80-foot birdie at No. 14, a putt that her playing partner Jon Lester Tweeted was the longest putt he’s ever seen. “You still know how to make putts, and just some assurance that it's still there. As sharp as it probably needs to be? No. But just that it's there. It's encouraging and makes you excited about coming back.”
FISH LEADS CELEBRITY COMPETITION
Tennis champion Mardy Fish, a two-time winner of the Diamond Resorts Invitational (the previous incarnation of this tournament), leads the celebrity competition with 39 points. He is followed by a trio of golfers with 37 points – MLB All-Star Mark Mulder, NHL All-Star Jeremy Roenick and Golf Channel host Blair O’Neal, who is the only female celebrity competing in the tournament.
“I birdied some holes that I probably shouldn't have and parred or bogeyed some holes that I probably shouldn't have,” said Fish, who won six ATP titles and captured a silver medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics. “It probably evened itself out fine.”
The celebrity competition is playing with a Modified Stableford scoring system. A double eagle earns 10 points, an ace earns eight points, an eagle earns five points, a birdie earns three points, a par earns two points, a bogey earns one points and a double bogey or higher earns zero points.
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