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THE WOODLANDS, Texas – The first major tournament of the LPGA season has officially begun. Here are three things to know from the first round of the Chevron Championship.
New place, same stakes
The first major tournament of the LPGA season is no longer played at Mission Hills – that honor now goes to the clubhouse at Carlton Woods.
After 50 years of running in Palm Springs, this year’s Chevron Championship has moved to The Woodlands, just outside of Houston. And while there’s no Poppie’s Pond or Dinah Shore statue, the venue is capable of challenging the world’s best.
On day one of the duties of hosting the major tournament, the Jack Nicklaus Signature Course surrendered only 36 runs under par, and the score was no less than 67. The scoring average was just over a stroke and a half over par (73.51) and three players failed to break 80. .
The place may be different, but the challenge remains the same.
Nelly Korda starts hot
Nelly Korda admitted earlier this week that she’s been fighting swing this season, but you’d never know watching her on Thursday. The world number two scored a first round 68 on the strength of seven birdies – including 4s on all 5s.
“I made the most of my five counterparts today,” Korda said. “I think I chased them all down, so that was important, because I hit a little bit longer. Overall I played really well.”
Korda’s four-under round left her just one stroke off the lead through 18 holes in the first major of the year. Last season, the 24-year-old earned two top-10 finishes in the majors, even though she missed a chevron after surgery to treat a blood clot. It’s finished in the top five at Chevron the past two years, including a playoff loss in 2020.
“It was nice to finish the way I did with just a little birdie,” she said, “but I made a couple of mistakes here and there.” “But this is taken for granted in a major championship.”
Surprise leader
Carlton Woods showed his teeth on Thursday, but that didn’t bother Byun Shin. The 32-year-old posted a low first-round score of five-under-67 to take the course through 18 holes – and her game plan was simple.
“I focus on one shot at a time,” she said.
More awesome than Shane’s debut? The way you entered the field. With the Lotte tournament coming up last week, Chien wasn’t around this week. But thanks to a T4 finish — her first of the season — she gained entry into the major.
She makes the most of the opportunity. Shane made one bogey on Thursday – on the opening hole – against six birdies to claim the early lead. This is the first time Shane has ever slept on top of a major championship and is looking for the biggest victory of her career.