EWART SHADOFF, HSU LEAD AFTER 18 HOLES AT ISPS HANDA WOMEN’S AUSTRALIAN OPEN

After 18 holes at The Grange Golf Club, Jodi Ewart Shadoff and Wei-Ling Hsu sit atop the leaderboard at the 2019 ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open. Ewart Shadoff, a two-time European Solheim Cup player from England, returned a bogey-free 7-under 65 in the morning wave. Her round was match by Chinese Taipei’s Hsu in the afternoon, bouncing back from an early bogey to reel off eight birdies over her final 15 holes.

“Obviously to get off to a good start is always nice,” said Ewart Shadoff, who like Hsu is looking for her first LPGA Tour victory. “I played really steady today. It was perfect conditions this morning. I hit some really close shots and holed some good putts, so it was a good day.”

A trio of players sit two strokes behind at 5-under 67, led by Australian legend Karrie Webb, a five-time Australian Women’s Open champion who is gunning for her first LPGA win since 2014. She is joined in a tie for third by a pair of Europeans aiming for breakthrough LPGA Tour wins in Sweden’s Madelene Sagstrom and England’s Bronte Law.

EWART SHADOFF RELIES ON IMPROVED SHORT GAME

Thursday was a stress-free day for Jodi Ewart Shadoff, who cruised around The Grange Golf Club for one of the day’s five bogey-free rounds. The 31-year-old from North Yorkshire, England, who now makes her home in Orlando, Fla., pointed to improvements in her short game as the main factor in her first-round success.

“I holed three or four six footers for birdie and overall I just hit the ball well and I putted well,” said Ewart Shadoff, who reeled off four consecutive birdies at No. 7-10. “Last week I didn't putt well, especially on my last day, so I worked a little bit this week on my putting and it seems to have paid off.”

Ewart Shadoff is aiming to become the ninth English player to hoist an LPGA Tour trophy. World Golf Hall of Fame member Laura Davies has the most English wins with 20, while Georgia Hall is the most recent English winner at the 2018 AIG Women’s British Open.

HSU ENJOYS “PERFECT” DAY

It’s not too often that a player refers to any round as “perfect,” but that’s exactly the word Wei-Ling Hsu used to describe her first round. The 24-year-old from Chinese Taipei recorded eight birdies on Thursday, offsetting a lone bogey at her third hole en route to the third 65 of her LPGA Tour career.

“Everything today was just perfect,” said Hsu, who is making her 2019 Tour debut this week. “I played a good driver, good iron shot, especially putting. Inside I would say like maybe 8 feet, I holed out everything. So, I definitely say putting is the key.”

PLAYER NOTES

Rolex Rankings No. 69 Wei-Ling Hsu (65, -7)

Hsu’s first-round 65 is tied for the second-lowest round of her LPGA Tour career; she shot a 64 in the fourth round of the 2015 Yokohama Tire LPGA Classic and has three times shot a 65, most recently in the first round of the 2017 LPGA Volvik Championship
This is the first time since the 2017 LPGA Volvik Championship that Hsu has led after the first round of an LPGA Tour event
She hit 10 of 14 fairways and 10 of 18 greens, with 21 putts
Hsu is in her fifth LPGA Tour season; her best career finish is second at the 2018 Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic
Hsu is playing in her fifth ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open; her best finish is T34 at Kooyonga Golf Club in 2018

Rolex Rankings No. 59 Jodi Ewart Shadoff (65, -7)

Shadoff’s first-round 65 is her lowest round of her five ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Opens; her previous best was a third-round 67 at the 2016 tournament also held at The Grange Golf Club
Her 65 is tied for the lowest first round of her LPGA Tour career; she previously shot a first-round 65 at the 2017 MCKAYSON New Zealand Women’s Open and the 2018 Swinging Skirts Taiwan LPGA Championship
She hit 11 of 14 fairways and 14 of 18 greens, with 24 putts
Shadoff is in her ninth LPGA Tour season; her best career finish is second at the 2016 Citi Banamex Lorena Ochoa Invitational and the 2017 Ricoh Women’s British Open
Shadoff is playing in her fifth ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open; her best finish is T20 at The Grange Golf Club in 2016, and she has never missed the cut
Shadoff was a member of Team England at the 2008 Women’s World Amateur Team Championship, held at The Grange Golf Club

Rolex Rankings No. 61 Bronte Law (67, -5)

Law’s first-round 67 is tied for the lowest first round in her LPGA Tour career; she previously shot a 6 in the first rounds of the 2017 and 2018 Thornberry Creek LPGA Classics
She hit 12 of 14 fairways and 15 of 18 greens, with 29 putts
Law is in her third LPGA Tour season; her best career finish is sixth at the 2018 Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic and the 2018 Thornberry Creek LPGA Classic
Law is competing in her second ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open; she missed the cut in 2018

Rolex Rankings No. 121 Madelene Sagstrom (67, -5)

Sagstrom’s first-round 65 is tied for the lowest round in her LPGA Tour career; she previously shot a 65 in the third round of the 2017 ShopRite LPGA Classic and the first and fourth rounds of the 2017 Meijer LPGA Classic
She hit 10 of 14 fairways and 13 of 18 greens, with 26 putts
Sagstrom is in her third LPGA Tour season; her best career finish is a tie for third at the 2017 Swinging Skirts Taiwan LPGA Championship
Sagstrom is competing in her third ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open; she finished T30 in 2018 and missed the cut in 2017

Rolex Rankings No. 211 Karrie Webb (67, -5)

Webb’s first-round 65 is her lowest round at the ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open since it became an LPGA Tour event in 2012; her previous best was a first-round 67 at the 2016 tournament also held at The Grange Golf Club
She hit 10 of 14 fairways and 14 of 18 greens, with 27 putts
Webb is in her 24th LPGA Tour season; she has 41 career wins, including seven majors, with her last victory coming at the 2014 JTBC Founders Cup
Webb has competed in all eight ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Opens since it became an LPGA Tour event in 2012; she won in 2012 and 2014 and finished third in 2016, the last time she made the cut
She has competed in 23 of the 28 Women’s Australian Opens since it began in 1974, not missing a tournament since she turned professional in 1994

OF NOTE

Defending champion Jin Young Ko opened her title defense with a 4-under 68 and sits tied for sixth after the first round

Rolex Rankings No. 1 Ariya Jutanugarn stumbled to a 4-over 76 on Thursday and is tied for 110th

The Grange Golf Club hosted the 2008 Women’s World Amateur Team Championship; 14 players in this week’s field competed in that event, including first-round leader Jodi Ewart Shadoff

Ewart Shadoff Relies on Improved Short Game, Hsu Enjoys "Perfect" Day and More From Australia

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