Andrea Lee takes one-stroke lead at LPGA Mizuho Americas Open after stellar opening round
Thailand's Jeeno Thitikul and New Zealand's Lydia Ko share second place as tournament kicks off in New Jersey
American Andrea Lee has secured a one-stroke lead at the LPGA Mizuho Americas Open following a commanding opening round at Mountain Ridge Country Club in West Caldwell, New Jersey. The world number 24 finished the day on six-under par 66, a score she described as her lowest of the year, to claim the top spot on the leaderboard.
Lee, who started play from the back nine, demonstrated resilience after finding herself in trouble at the 11th hole. She recovered from a bogey there with a sequence of birdies at the 12th, 13th, 18th, and the first four holes, before finishing with a bogey at the second. Her momentum continued as she birdied the fifth, par-five sixth, eighth, and ninth holes, ultimately carding four birdies in her last five holes.
"I really didn't see six-under today to be honest, so I'm quite pleased," Lee said regarding her performance. She noted that her game plan focused on patience and hitting greens and fairways, aiming to keep bogeys to a minimum. Lee added that she visualised her putts going in and that the shots came as expected, resulting in a round she felt she executed well.
Thailand's second-ranked Jeeno Thitikul and New Zealand's ninth-ranked Lydia Ko shared second place on 67. Thitikul sparked her round with a birdie and recovered from a bogey at the third with an eagle at the eighth and birdies at the sixth, seventh, and 16th. She described her approach as patient, relying on good calculations on her irons and yardages to make crucial runs.
Ko made an eagle, two bogeys, and five birdies, going four-under on the par-fives. She felt she played quite smart around the challenging course layout. Meanwhile, American Brooke Matthews and South Korean Choi Hye-jin shared fourth place on 68. Matthews briefly led at seven-under 29 after making five birdies and an eagle on the front nine but closed with a double bogey.
The tournament continues with the field looking to build on the strong starts recorded on Thursday. While Lee expressed satisfaction with her round, the competition remains tight at the top of the leaderboard as the event progresses at Mountain Ridge Country Club.
