United States Solheim Cup captain Stacy Lewis was pleased with her opening round at Old American Golf Club, a 2-under 69 that saw her card three birdies and one bogey on a windy Thursday in The Colony, Texas. Starting on the back nine, Lewis made seven straight pars to kick off her day, finally making her first birdie on the par-5 17th to turn at -1. She dropped back to even after bogeying the third but recovered quickly with birdies on holes six and eight to post at -2 and sit in a tie for 11th, four back of the lead.
“It was playing really hard this morning,” said Lewis, who hit 11 of 13 fairways and 9 of 18 greens. “I don't think I've ever hit hybrid on 10. Usually, it's a 9 iron, so definitely playing different this morning. I didn't hit a ton of greens if you look at stats, but I missed it on the right side of the holes where I could get up and down. Putted it good. Just managed it really good.”
This is Lewis’ ninth appearance in The Ascendant LPGA benefiting Volunteers of America and in her eight previous starts, she has won once – in 2014 after defeating Meena Lee by six shots for her 9th career LPGA Tour title. She has two additional top 10 finishes to her credit, a pair of T7s that came in 2013 and 2015. This season has been a frustrating one for Lewis as the 37-year-old has missed 8 cuts in 21 starts, three of which came in her last three starts, tying her record for most missed cuts in a single season. But Lewis figured some things out in the second round of last week’s Walmart NW Arkansas Championship presented by P&G after firing a 4-under 67. Those changes appear to have carried over for the longtime Texas resident.
“It's kind of the lower half was moving a lot. Right hip was kind of flying open on the backswing, and that was bleeding into pitch shots and chipping,” said Lewis. “I've been working hard on it. I used that second round in Arkansas, just had to try to get better. I'm not one to just cash it in. I knew it was going to take a crazy low number and probably wasn't going to shoot it, but I had to try. I had to try to build some momentum into this week.”
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