Honolulu – Akie Iwai took the first round lead in the LPGA Tour’s Lotte Championship on Wednesday, lasting 64 shots on a calm morning at the Hoakalei Country Club.
She plays with her twin sister Chisato.
“It’s fun,” Aki said. “I’m looking forward to tomorrow, too.”
The 23-year-old Japanese sisters both won tour rookies this year. Chisato broke into Mayakoba, Mexico in Mayakoba, and Akie won the Portland Classic in August.
Akie scored three of the first four holes on Wednesday. Then, after spanning six birdies on the nine-hole, she closed her bogey on the par 3. Chisati opens at 70.
Japanese player NASA HATAOKA had a stroke with Australia’s Gabriela Ruffels and Taiwan’s Peiyun Chien at the age of 65.
“We played at 7:30 this morning and the wind hasn’t risen yet,” Roufl said. “I think the defense against this golf course is wind, so there’s an afternoon of teeing tomorrow, and I think it’s going to be a little tricky and shooting lower numbers can be more difficult.”
Defending champion South Korea’s Lim Kim was the best match in the afternoon, with four birdies winning in the last nine straight in the 66th place.
Nelly Korda opened at 69 pm, the birds had their first three holes, and then used two birds to offset the two taboos for the rest of the process.
“It’s a bit up and down, but overall, it’s nice to get in at 3 under par,” Korda said. “There’s definitely a long way to go.”
In a seven-win season, she failed to win the championship this year and lost first place in Jeeno Thitikul. This tour won different championships in all 24 official matches this year.
Charley Hull matches Korda, 69. Hull won the Queens Kroger City championship in Ohio after four piercings in Thitikul three weeks ago.
Brooke Henderson was KO Olina’s 2018 and 2019 champions, with a 70 p.m.
After the event, LPGA participated in Asian competitions in Shanghai, South Korea, Malaysia and Japan for five consecutive weeks.
