Charley Hull defied her past troubles on the links to storm into a one-shot lead on an enthralling day at the AIG Women’s Open.
The Englishwoman – chasing her first major after coming so close last year
at Walton Heath – tamed a brutal Old Course setup in thrilling style to post a five-under opening 67 as 30mph gusts swirled across St Andrews.
World No.1 Nelly Korda and Chinese star Ruoning Yin are one shot back from Hull after fine 68s, with defending champion Lilia Vu a further shot adrift.
Oscilliating balls on tee boxes and greens caused havoc on a long, draining Thursday – but scoring was still superb as so many of the world’s best thrived in the chaos.
Former world no.1 Ruoning Yin somehow raced to six-under through 14 holes in the most testing morning conditions, eventually setting a clubhouse target of four-under.
But the box-office Hull went one better as the wind eased slightly in the afternoon. Playing alongside Korda and Vu, the Kettering-born star’s marquee group more than lived up to the billing.
Hull made six birdies and one bogey, matching her crunching drives with measured approach play to edge into a narrow overnight lead.
Hull and Korda both made excellent threes on the final hole and a possible showdown between two of the game’s most entertaining stars is a tantalising prospect for tournament organisers this weekend.
The R&A officials were braced for mayhem amid ghastly weather forecasts for day one, but they would scarcely have believed that nine players would go on to break 70 in such tough conditions.
Georgia Hall, meanwhile, relishes these conditions more than most and is finely poised four shots behind her close friend Hull.
The 2018 champion made an eagle on her final hole to sign for a gutsy 71 in the worst of the weather, which should hardly have come as a surprise.
Hall had the the perfect response when she peered out of her Old Course Hotel window before preparing for her round at 5am this morning.
“I could see flags on the range and they were blowing a gale and I was like, ‘that’s great, hope it stays like that’,” she said.
“Not sure many players would agree with me. I hardly get to play like this. I play in America a lot and, to me, it’s more of a wooden form of golf. This is natural, raw golf.”
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Source: Tampa Bay Times
