Coughlin and Shin share lead at difficult Scottish Open as field struggles with firm conditions
Only 13 players finished under par at Dundonald Links as scoring average rose to 76.5 on a windswept opening day.
Past champion Lauren Coughlin and Jenny Shin share the lead at the ISPS Handa Women's Scottish Open after a grueling opening round at Dundonald Links. Coughlin secured her position at 6 under par by draining a 30-foot putt on the final hole, while Shin matched the score to take the joint lead. The pair navigated a course that offered little respite, with only 13 players in the field managing to finish under par on the firm and fast layout.
The conditions at the Scottish venue were described as having Sunday-like hole locations, creating a significant challenge for the field. Patty Tavatanakit, who opened with a 71, highlighted the severity of the setup by questioning whether she was playing in the fourth round. The scoring average for the first day settled at 76.5, with 29 players failing to break 80 in a field of 144 competitors.
Defending champion Lottie Woad posted a 74, acknowledging the difficulty of the day. Woad, who played alongside world number one Nelly Korda and Charley Hull, noted that the pin placements were tricky due to the wind. She described the round as a day of avoiding self-inflicted errors, admitting that a lack of putts prevented her from going under par. Despite the 2-over score, Woad remains competitive in the tournament.
Korda, who had previously missed the cut at the Amundi Evian Championship, carded a 72 to sit in a share of 14th place. Her round included 30 putts, a statistic that underscored the putting difficulties faced by many players. Meanwhile, Hull struggled significantly on the par-5 fifth hole, chipping four times after missing a birdie putt and ultimately recording a nine. Hull finished with a 78, while her playing partner Georgia Hall, making her first LPGA start since giving birth, posted an 82.
Three-time major winner Minjee Lee had a difficult opening round, shooting an 85 that included only three fairways hit and three doubles. Lee recorded no birdies and beat only one player in the field, continuing a recent slump that includes missed cuts in her last two starts. The challenging conditions at Dundonald Links have set a high bar for the remainder of the tournament, with the leaders holding a narrow advantage over a struggling pack.
