Inbee Park of South Korea has struggled a bit early this season, but not this time.
Park, No. 2 in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings, shot a bogey-free 5-under-par 67 and was tied for the lead with Brittany Lang, Ai Miyazato of Japan and Jodi Ewart Shadoff of England after the first round of the Kia Classic at Aviara Golf Club in Carlsbad, Calif.
“Yeah I mean everything went really well out there today, especially I dropped some good putts today so that’s why I was able to shoot a good round. It’s always good to have a good round like this going into a major (the ANA Inspiration next week at Mission Hills),” said Park, who was bothered by a back injury at the start of the year.
“The greens are actually in much better shape than in previous years. I was quite comfortable on the greens today and obviously getting some confidence on the greens was huge, so.”
Lang, who tied for fourth last week in the JTBC Founders Cup, eagled the first hole and added three birdies on the front nine en route to her 67, while Miyazato eagled No. 10 and made three birdies in a bogey-free round, while Shadoff carded seven birdies.
Top-ranked Lydia Ko of New Zealand birdied five of the first eight holes on the front nine and finished at No. 9 with a 68 to tie for fifth with Jane Park of Rancho Cucamonga and UCLA, who was flawless after a bogey on the first hole, and M.J. Hur of South Korea, who made her lone bogey at No. 17
Annie Park of USC made only one bogey in a 69 and was tied for eighth with Mirim Lee of South Korea, Minjee Lee of Australia, Catriona Matthew of Scotland, Felicity Johnson of England and Jenny Shin of South Korea.
