Charley Hull made the dream start to her bid for a maiden major title by grabbing a one-shot lead after the opening round of the AIG Women’s Open at St Andrews.
Hull – who finished runner-up in last year’s contest – produced six birdies with a lone bogey on a windy day around the Old Course, with a five-under 67 seeing her top the leaderboard ahead of former major champion Ruoning Yin and world No 1 Nelly Korda.
Korda was playing alongside Hull and produced a birdie-birdie finish to get within one of the lead, while defending champion Lilia Vu – completing that marquee threeball – sits just two strokes back after an impressive opening-round 69.
Former major champion Patty Tavatanakit matched Korda’s late birdie burst to join Vu in the group on three under, while Olympic gold medallist Lydia Ko and 2018 Women’s Open champion Georgia Hall both started with one-under 71s.
Stars impress at windy St Andrews
The R&A had warned pre-tournament that weather delays were ‘a risk’ because of the strong winds forecast on the opening day, although the first round was completed without suspension despite brutal conditions and a slow pace of play.
Yin delivered a stunning start in the worst of the winds in the morning wave, where only four players posted rounds under par, with five birdies in a seven-hole stretch briefly taking her four ahead and threatening a course record.
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Ruoning Yin made a hot start to her AIG Women’s Open title challenge, mixing seven birdies with three bogeys during an eventful opening round
The former KPMG Women’s PGA champion then bogeyed two of her last four holes to finish with a four-under 68, which remained the lead until Hull made her charge up the leaderboard.
Hull responded to a bogey at the par-three eighth by birdieing three of her next four holes, then bounced back from failing to take advantage of a fortunate break off a rake at the par-five 14th to birdie the next and move level with Yin.
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Hull was saved by a rake from going in the bunker at the par-five 14th, although failed to take advantage
The 28-year-old capped off an impressive opening day with a birdie at the par-four last to move into the outright advantage, while Korda birdied three of her last five holes to stay within one of her playing partner.
“It was unbelievable,” Hull told Sky Sports. “To be fair, when I woke up this morning and saw how windy it was on the range, I thought to myself, ‘how is she [Ruoning] four under par?’ And I saw Georgia [Hall] shot one under, which was a really good score.
“So for me to shoot that [67], it was really good because it was so gusty out there. I’m pretty happy with myself. I actually had a lot of fun out there, especially playing with Nelly [Korda] and Lilia [Ku]. It was great.”
What else happened on day one?
Vu carded the best opening round by a defending since Georgia Hall in 2019 when she posted a three-under 69, having made three birdies in four holes from the sixth, with Jenny Shin, Mi Hyang Lee, Mao Saigo, Tavatanakit and Andrea Lee also within two of the lead.
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Defending champion Lilia Vu made the dream start with a monster birdie on her opening hole of the day
Hyo Joo Kim rounds off the top 10 and is on two under, with Hall four back and in contention after driving the par-four ninth green and eagling her final hole of the day.
Leona Maguire recovered from a bogey-bogey start to post a one-over 73 and Evian Championship winner Ayaka Furue stuttered to an opening-round 75, while last week’s ISPS Handa Women’s Scottish Open champion Lauren Coughlin struggled to a four-over 76.
Who will win the AIG Women’s Open? Watch all four rounds live this week on Sky Sports! Live coverage of the second round continues on Friday at midday on Sky Sports Golf. Stream the women’s majors and more sport with NOW.
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