LOS ANGELES (AFP, REUTERS) - Jessica Korda closed with consecutive birdies to take a one-shot lead after the first round of the LPGA LA Open on Wednesday (April 21) in Los Angeles.
The American world No. 21 shot a seven-under 64 at Wilshire Country Club, carding eight birdies and a lone bogey.
Hong Kong's Tiffany Chan and Thailand's Moriya Jutanugarn share second place at six under.
Australia's Su Oh, Spain's Carlota Ciganda and US players Dana Finkelstein, Austin Ernst and Nelly Korda are tied for fourth at five under. Eight players, including South Korea's Kim Sei-young, share 10th place at four under.
Jessica Korda birdied her first two holes, then added three consecutive birdies from Nos. 8 to 10. Following her lone bogey at No. 12, she birdied three of the last four holes.
"I was lucky enough that I was hitting the ball well last week," said Korda, who has six career LPGA Tour wins. "I just wasn't making any putts, and so I was kind of just taking that mentality into this week. Like if I can maybe drop some putts, I can have a good round.
"But out here it's tough. This isn't an easy golf course at all. I was lucky to be able to position myself in the right spots off the tee and take advantage of the short putts that I did have for birdie."
Chan ran off a string of four consecutive birdies on the front nine, and she also had only one bogey.
Moriya turned things around after a rocky start, firing 10 birdies for the early first-round lead.
The Thai was four-over par through her first five holes with a double bogey and two bogeys.
"Really a roller coaster," said Moriya, who battled back admirably after her double-bogey at the 11th - her second hole of the day.
That miscue, along with bogeys at 13 and 14, was forgotten as she reeled off six birdies in a row from the 15th through the second.
After a birdie at the fourth, she closed with another run of three straight birdies, playing her second nine in six-under par 29.
"I started to make some putts, then I had a lot more chances because I hit it closer. It was pretty fun," said Moriya, who lifted the Los Angeles trophy in 2018.
"I didn't realise until I signed the scorecard I shot 29 on the back side today."
Her bravura finish saw her leapfrog over Americans Nelly Korda and Ernst, who both reached six-under before falling back with late bogeys.
World No. 4 Nelly Korda's five-under 66 was highlighted by an eagle at the 16th. She added six birdies but her third bogey of the day at her final hole, the ninth, put her in the clubhouse tied with Ernst, who had six birdies but bogeyed her penultimate hole, the eighth.
World No. 1 Ko Jin-young and No. 3 Kim were among a group were among a group of eight players on four-under 67.
Reigning LA Open champion Minjee Lee of New Zealand, who captured the title in 2019 before the event was cancelled last year due to the pandemic, is tied for 43rd at one under.
New Zealand's Lydia Ko, coming off a seven-shot win last Saturday at the Lotte Championship in Kapolei, Hawaii, stumbled to a seven-over 78 on Wednesday. Her card featured two double bogeys, four bogeys and just one birdie.
