Kiwis mid-leaderboard at the Women's Open
- Dave Worsley
- Aug 1
- 1 min read
Defending champion Lydia Ko is six strokes off the pace after the first round of the Women's Open at Royal Porthcawl in south Wales.
Japan's Eri Okayama and Rio Takeda sit at the top of the leaderboard, with rounds of five-under 67.
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Ko had a one-over 73 as she failed to take advantage of calm conditions on the coastal course.
Fellow New Zealanders Amelia Garvey and Momoka Kobori are a stroke further back, in joint 91st place.
Ko won the event last year at St Andrews, but it is her first time playing in Wales.
She opened well enough in the final major of the year, with a birdie on the first hole but negated that with a bogey on the par-4 third hole.
She had one more birdie, on the ninth hole, while dropping shots at the par-5 13th and the par-3 15th before finishing in a 17-way tie for 74th place.
Garvey had birdies on the same two holes that Ko birdied, with four bogeys spoiling her round.
Kobori had bogey's at the first and third holes and then a birdie on the 10th with three bogeys and two birdies on the final five holes.
Meanwhile Ryan Fox is seven strokes off the lead in a tie for 64th after opening round at the latest PGA Tour event in North Carolina
