LPGA Tour

So Yeon Ryu shoots 64 to take Kingsmill Championship lead

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So Yeon Ryu (Hunter Martin/ Getty Images)

WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – So Yeon Ryu had six birdies in an eight-hole stretch and shot a 7-under 64 on Friday to take the second-round lead in the Kingsmill Championship.

Ranked 11th in the world but sixth in the race for the four spots on South Korea’s Olympic team, Ryu opened with a bogey on the 10th hole, then used the birdie run to make the turn in 5-under 30.

“I’ve been putting really nice,” Ryu said. “My first hole I made a bogey, but it felt really great the next two holes. I made birdie-birdie right away. Even my shot and birdie putt, and putting – I think today just everything was really working well.”

The 2011 U.S. Women’s Open champion added birdies on the par-4 fourth and par-5 seventh and closed with two pars to reach 7-under 135 on the soggy River Course.

“This one is definitely my favorite golf course that we play,” Ryu said. “I consistently play really well here, so I feel really comfortable to stay here. I think I just really like the atmosphere, so I really enjoy it. So enjoying it makes me play better.”

Fourth-ranked Stacy Lewis, No. 6 Amy Yang and first-round leader Mika Miyazato were a stroke back. Lewis had a bogey-free 66, Yang had a 67, and Miyazato followed her opening 65 with a 71.

Lewis tied for second two weeks ago in Alabama for her 10th runner-up finish in a 49-event drought. The 11-time tour winner has 23 career second-place finishes.

“The putts were going in,” Lewis said. “I hit the ball a lot better today and gave myself some better looks and made the putts. The golf course is just playing hard. It’s playing long. You have a lot of long irons into the par 4s, so you’re not going to make a ton of birdies, and when you do hit it close, you need to make the putt.”

Yang birdied the first three holes. She’s No. 2 in the South Korean Olympic standings.

“I was hitting better than yesterday, more solid at impact, making more solid putts, and made some, too,” Yang said. “I left a couple of good chances out there, but looking forward to playing on the weekend. I’ve been working with my coach on my swing and feeling good about it.”

Rain is expected over the weekend on the already wet course.

“It’s just going to be a long weekend,” Lewis said. “You get ready for that. You get ready for delays and playing in the wet, and this golf course is going to get even harder. You just kind of mentally prepare for it and know it’s going to happen, and if it doesn’t, that’s a great thing.”

Defending champion Minjee Lee was in the group at 5 under after a 71. The 19-year-old Australian won last year at Kingsmill in a Monday finish and added her second tour title last month in Hawaii.

Top-ranked Lydia Ko was 1 under after 68. The 19-year-old New Zealander won the Kia Classic and major ANA Inspiration in consecutive weeks in Southern California.

Second-ranked Inbee Park, playing alongside Ko, withdrew after six holes because of a lingering left thumb injury. The tournament was her first after a month out because of the injury.

Third-ranked Lexi Thompson, also in the group with Ko, matched Ko at 1 under after a 69. Thompson is coming off a victory two weeks ago on the Japan LPGA.

Fifth-ranked Brooke Henderson, playing with Lewis, also was 1 under after a 71.

Michelle Wie missed the cut with rounds of 72 and 78. She’s winless since the 2014 U.S. Women’s Open and hasn’t had a top-10 finish in 35 events.

Maude-Aimée Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que., carded a second consecutive 74, while Kelowna, B.C., native Samantha Richdale shot 73.

LPGA Tour

Mika Miyazato shoots 65 to take Kingsmill Championship lead

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Mika Miyazato (Hunter Martin/ Getty Images)

WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – Mika Miyazato had five birdies in a six-hole stretch and finished with a 6-under 65 on Thursday to take the first-round lead in the Kingsmill Championship.

In tricky conditions on the rain-soaked River Course, the 26-year-old Japanese player closed her opening nine with the birdie run, dropped a stroke on the par-5 third and rebounded with birdies on the par-4 sixth and eighth holes. She won the 2012 Safeway Classic in Oregon for her lone tour title.

The greens where a lot faster than expected, though they were receptive and the players were allowed to lift, clean and place their golf balls in the fairways.

Defending champion Minjee Lee and Brittany Lincicome were a stroke back.

Top-ranked Lydia Ko closed with a birdie for a 73.

Brooke Henderson’s 1-under 70 has the Smiths Falls, Ont., native tied for 31st. Maude-Aimée Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que., opened with a 74, while Kelowna, B.C., product Samantha Richdale carded a 76.

LPGA Tour Team Canada

Sharp’s excitement for Rio Olympics on steady rise

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Alena Sharp (Golf Canada/ Brent Long)

TORONTO – Alena Sharp tried not to think about the Rio Olympics last year when she was among a pack of players in the mix for one of two spots on the Canadian women’s team.

Since then she has raised her game and her ranking, making herself a virtual lock to be named to the squad this summer along with world No. 5 Brooke Henderson.

“I just kept on it and played really well last year and distanced myself,” Sharp said.

The 35-year-old Hamilton native made 21 of 26 cuts last year. She had two top-10 finishes and was 65th on the money list, her highest position since 2010.

Sharp is off to a decent start again this year, posting her best result of the season last week at the Yokohama Tire LPGA Classic with a tie for 22nd place. She’s currently 121st in the world rankings but holds the No. 37 position in the Olympic rankings of eligible golfers for the 60-player field.

Sharp’s excitement level about the Games has been on a steady rise of late, stoked by her steady play and the regular Olympic commercials she sees on television. She was on hand Wednesday at Lambton Golf and Country Club as Golf Canada unveiled the national team uniforms for the Rio Games.

“It’s just more of a realization,” Sharp said. “To represent Canada and wear the red and white and to see these uniforms today, it’s an amazing dream that’s going to come true.”

Sharp’s game appears well-suited for the Olympic Golf Course in Rio’s Barra da Tijuca district. The 18-hole course will be 6,500 yards for the Aug. 17-20 women’s competition, which should give a big hitter like Sharp an edge.

“She’s been one of the longer players for a long time,” said Canadian women’s team coach Tristan Mullally. “It’s a golf course that will require some precision off the tee but you’ve also got to be long enough to give yourself chances. The par fives are long and the par fours, you’re going to be hitting a long fairway wood in. So that gives her an advantage. It’s certainly going to be super-windy.

“We’ve worked with her game over the last nine months (to a year) _ not necessarily for the wind, but just in general _ (to) try to be a little more solid and have some more variety with shots. That’s going to play when it is windy.”

Sharp plans to take next week off before playing in eight tournaments in a row, capped by the Women’s British Open near London in late July. The windy conditions there should help ahead of Rio as well.

“I’ve done well in the wind this year and in the past I haven’t,” she said. “So I already see my game suiting it.”

Sharp is 25th on the LPGA Tour in driving distance with an average of 265.56 yards.

“I think looking ahead she’s starting to see how good her game is,” Mullally said. “She’s almost been under-achieving up until now.

“I’m excited to see where she goes.”

Sharp and Henderson – who’s expected to be a medal contender – essentially have the women’s spots nailed down. The two men’s spots could go down to the wire in early July with several players in the mix.

“Everybody knows about the Olympics,” Sharp said. “Maybe not everybody knows about golf’s majors because they don’t follow golf. But everybody knows about the Olympics and I think it’s a huge thing to be a part of. It’s something on my resume. No one can ever take that away from me. When I’m older, I can say I was an Olympian.

“To go there and do well and to possibly win a medal, that would be something that would be huge on my bucket list and obviously one of the biggest accomplishments I could probably ever have.”

LPGA Tour

Henderson finally back home after great start to LPGA season

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Brooke Henderson (Scott Halleran/Getty Images)

DUNROBIN, Ont. – Canada’s Brooke Henderson is finally getting to enjoy some quality time at home after a whirlwind start to her 2016 golf season.

Her first full campaign with full-time status on the LPGA Tour has been a busy one and the Smiths Falls, Ont., native has shown her rookie season was no fluke.

Henderson has picked up where she left off last year, finishing in the top 10 at eight of the 11 events she has entered this season. She has risen to fifth in the world rankings and is ninth on the money list.

Not bad for someone still four months shy of her 19th birthday.

“I’m playing really well but I know I have big goals and big dreams ahead of me,” Henderson said. “I’m still pushing to be that little bit better.”

Henderson was back in the Ottawa area on Tuesday with her sister Brittany for an appearance at the Kevin Haime Kids to the Course Classic at Eagle Creek Golf Club.

It was her first trip home since Christmas Day.

“It’s really nice to see everybody and be back home in Smiths Falls and sleep in my own bed,” Henderson said.

She plans to relax at her family cottage later this week before getting ready for the May 19-22 Kingsmill Championship in Williamsburg, Va. That will kick off another busy run of nine tournaments in a row for the 2015 Canadian Press female athlete of the year.

Henderson is planning to play over 30 tournaments in 2016 and is a virtual lock to be named to the Canadian team that will participate at the Rio Games in August. Right now she’s focused on maintaining her consistent play and continuing her push to reach the top spot in the world rankings.

Henderson became the third-youngest winner in LPGA Tour history last summer when she won the Cambia Portland Classic by eight shots. She was immediately given full Tour membership after the victory.

After rising over 200 spots in the world rankings, she set a pre-season goal of reaching the top 10 and improving her consistency around the greens.

Her top result this season was a second-place showing in early February at the Coates Golf Championship. That kicked off a run of eight straight top-10 finishes.

Consistency has been key to her strong play. Henderson is fifth in scoring average (70.02), 14th in average driving distance (268.36 yards) and 25th in putting average (29.55 putts per round).

She has strayed wide of the fairway at times (108th in driving accuracy at 66.01 per cent) but is 13th in greens in regulation (74.37 per cent).

“I’ve definitely had a really good start and my game is in a good place,” Henderson said. “I definitely have small improvements that I want to make just to become a little bit better.”

The Summer Games will be like a sixth major this season. Henderson said she’s still stunned that she’ll get to enjoy the Olympic experience and represent her country.

“It’s kind of both ways,” she said. “Sometimes it’s really surreal, and other times it’s like, ‘You know what, I can go and win there.”’

Henderson added she feels more mature now and is getting used to the extra attention from fans and media. She’s trying to take it all in and really enjoy the experience.

“It’s gone by super fast,” she said. “I’ve been able to travel all around the world and go see a ton of different places and play a lot of really good golf on a lot of really good golf courses. So it’s been a lot of fun.

“I’m definitely living the dream. But it’s nice to back home.”

LPGA Tour

Ariya Jutanugarn becomes LPGA Tour’s first Thai winner

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Ariya Jutanugarn (Matt Sullivan/Getty Images)

PRATTVILLE, Ala. – Ariya Jutanugarn was shaking over her final 5-foot putt, with personal, Thailand and LPGA Tour history on the line.

She made it anyway, becoming the first Thai winner in LPGA Tour history Sunday in the Yokohama Tire LPGA Classic.

“Last putt my hand shake, my leg shake,” Jutanugarn said. “I’ve had that before but I have not had it this bad before. My putter’s shaking, and I’m like, OK just go out from here.”

The 20-year-old Jutanugarn shot a 1-under 71 to beat Stacy Lewis, Amy Yang and Morgan Pressel by a stroke after losing two shots off her third-round lead. Her mom, Narumon, and sister Moriya, a tour player who tied for 63rd in the event, were on hand to celebrate on Mother’s Day.

Jutanugarn had four birdies and three bogeys a day after tying the tournament record with a 63, but didn’t repeat two previous failed attempts to keep a Sunday lead.

The long-hitter gave cheering fans a wave and smile as she approached the final green, chipping to 5 feet to set up a par putt. Jutanugarn finished at 14-under 273 on the Senator Course at Capitol Hill.

Yang bogeyed the 17th in a 67. Lewis shot her third straight 68. Pressel also had a 68.

Lewis had her 10th runner-up finish in a 49-event drought. The 11-time tour winner has 23 career second-place finishes.

“This week helped a lot because I was able to see shots come off the way I wanted to,” Lewis said. “The way I got the ball up and down on the last hole. There’s so many good things that came out of this week and so excited to get playing again next week. We have a busy stretch coming up and it’s a good time to start to play some good golf.”

Hamilton’s Alena Sharp was the top Canadian, finishing the tournament tied for 22nd with a 5-under 283. Brooke Henderson, of Smiths Falls, Ont., was 4 under and tied for 29th while Samatha Richdale of Kelowna, B.C., was 1 under.

Jutanugarn two-putted from about 8 feet on 17, dropping a stroke from her lead with Lewis and Pressel on the final hole and Yang waiting and hoping to make a playoff.

Jutanugarn’s drive on the final hole went into the left rough and her second shot didn’t make the green but landed above the bunker.

There was plenty of drama but no ending collapse this time. Last month in the ANA Inspiration, she had a two-stroke lead with three holes left and closed with three bogeys to finish fourth _ two strokes behind winner Lydia Ko in the major championship. In the 2013 LPGA Thailand at age 17, Jutanugarn blew a two-stroke lead with a closing triple bogey in a one-stroke loss to Inbee Park.

She handled the pressure from an array of challengers better this time.

“This tournament was very different than ANA,” Jutanugarn said. “Because first hole of this tournament I’m very excited and very nervous because I (have a) three-shot lead, and ANA one shot behind.”

Pressel had drained a birdie putt on 18 to remain in contention, pumping her fist as the ball rolled toward the hole. Lewis saved par after planting her tee shot into the left rough, some 180 yards from the hole.

Caroline Hedwall was fifth at 12 under after a 68. The 19-year-old Minjee Lee, who won at Hawaii last month, was among four players three strokes back after a roller-coaster 72. She was 4 over through the first four holes, including a double bogey on the fourth _ and added another double on 17. She eagled the par-5 10th and had four birdies.

Yang started a string of four birdies on No. 2 and got another one on 8 before losing a stroke with a bogey.

Yang parred the final hole following a bogey-birdie-bogey stretch. She landed in the rough on 17 and then had to take a drop after sending her next shot into hip-high grass.

“I went for it (on 17), didn’t think left side, it was going to bounce to the left,” she said. “I just wanted to chip it right on the green, or short of it, but I hit it a little thin and went in the hazard but, you know, oh well.”

LPGA Tour

Mom will always be No. 1 in the heart

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Alena Sharp (Donald Miralle/Getty Images)

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. — It might have been a bit of a frustrating 73.

It might have been a smile-inspiring 67.

Under the desert sun at Mission Hills at the ANA Inspiration, Brooke Henderson, with sister Brittany on the bag, experienced both at the first major of the golf season.

The results on the course may vary, but not the constant for the Henderson girls: the smile from mom Darlene when they walked off the 18th green and across the bridge over Poppie’s Pond.

Darlene was there making her way around the course to root her daughters on to another top 10 finish. She made her way from tree to tree, pausing in the shade to check on the girls’ progress, all the while accepting greetings from fellow Canadians, gushing with pride.

Darlene and husband Dave spent three weeks on the road with Brooke and Brittany as they drove across the U.S. southwest (in a sweet ride, a BMW 7 Series, one of Brooke’s corporate partners) for the LPGA’s tour through Phoenix and Southern California and to the desert.

It’s not just on Mother’s Day that Brooke appreciates what her mom has done to help her on her remarkable journey which has seen the 18-year-old rise to become the fifth-ranked player in the Rolex World Rankings.

“We owe a lot to our mom, both Britt and I, for everything that she’s sacrificed and everything that she’s done for us,” Henderson said. “She’s our No. 1 fan and our No. 1 support system. We love having her on trips and even when she’s back home, we can always count on her for a late night text or anything like that.

“We’re grateful for everything she does and what she continues to do.”

No matter how it’s gone on the course, Brooke said things don’t change when it comes to your mom.

“You’re still No. 1 in her heart,” she said.

Over behind the ninth green at Mission Hills, just after completing a fine opening round 70 in very windy conditions, Hamilton’s Alena Sharp reflected on a similar theme.

She doesn’t get to see her mother, Pat, a nurse back in Hamilton, often enough, but knows the support is there.

“My mom has been there from Day One. She would always take me to soccer practice, hockey practice, golf. She’s a big part of my career,” said Sharp. “I saw her a couple of weeks ago. I just don’t get to see my parents that much so it’s nice to spend time with them when I can.

“My mom’s been amazing, always there no matter what, whether it’s good or bad. She’s there with me when I’m crying because I’m frustrated and is there when I’ve played well. It’s nice to have that support.”

Has Alena inherited any qualities from Pat?

“She’s got a lot of patience. That’s huge. She’s a nurse. She’s forty years in nursing and going to retire this year. She has a lot of patience. She doesn’t let things get to her too much. That’s a huge thing that I see. She always goes out of her way to make you happy. If you need something, she’s going to do her best to get it for you.”

So, did that patience rub off?

Said Sharp, “I try to be patient.”


Related:

WestJet and Canadian Pacific honour moms

LPGA Tour

Jutanugarn takes LPGA Tour lead in Alabama with birdie run

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Ariya Jutanugarn (Matt Sullivan I Getty Images)

PRATTVILLE, Ala. – Ariya Jutanugarn knows the pain of losing a final-round lead, so she’s sticking with the theme of “having fun” this time.

Jutanugarn certainly had some good times when she birdied eight of the final nine holes Saturday to match the Yokohama Tire LPGA Classic record at 9-under 63 and take a three-stroke lead.

Seeking her first LPGA Tour victory, the 20-year-old Thai player had a 14-under 202 total. She showed little emotion at the end, giving a small wave toward the bleachers after picking up her ball and strolling toward her playing partners for a hug.

“(Sunday’s) going to be so much fun,” Jutanugarn said. “I just want to enjoy and have fun.”

Ryann O’Toole and Australia’s Minjee Lee were tied for second. They each shot 68 on a day when the winds calmed down after the first two rounds.

Jutanugarn parred No. 15, the only blemish in her back-nine birdie run on the links-style Senator Course at Capitol Hill. She pulled her approach left on No. 17 and still knocked it within a couple of feet of the hole, and closed with a 5-footer on the final hole for yet another birdie.

She has flirted with wins before but had two final-round collapses. Last month in the ANA Inspiration, she had a two-stroke lead with three holes left and closed with three bogeys to finish fourth _ two strokes behind winner Lydia Ko in the major championship. In the 2013 LPGA Thailand at age 17, Jutanugarn blew a two-stroke lead with a closing triple bogey in a one-stroke loss to Inbee Park.

Asked about the close calls, Jutanugarn stuck to the “fun” theme.

“Final round, so (I) just want to have fun and enjoy and good shots tomorrow,” she said.

She’s the eighth player to shoot 63 in the tournament, which was moved up from its normal late summer slot because of the Olympics.

“As far as she hits it, on this golf course, she should shoot that number,” Stacy Lewis said.

The 19-year-old Lee won last month in Hawaii for her second LPGA Tour title.

Second-round leader So Yeon Ryu was four strokes back after a 71, making two birdies and a bogey.

Alena Sharp is the top Canadian after shooting a 71 on Saturday. The Hamilton native is tied for 20th at 5 under. Brooke Henderson, of Smiths Falls, Ont., shot a 68 to move into a tie for 30th while Samantha Richdale, of Kelowna, B.C., is 1 under for the tournament.

Lewis, the 2012 winner, didn’t have a bogey until the final hole Saturday for her second straight 68. She and Morgan Pressel, who shot a 70, were 9 under.

“I just got on the wrong side of the holes,” Lewis said. “I had a lot of tough putts, a lot of downhill sliders and just played a lot better than the score, which I guess is a good thing going into the final round.

“I know a low score is still out there.”

Brittany Altomare was among six players at 8 under after a 66. She birdied seven of the first 11 holes, then had two straight bogeys before regrouping.

Altomare got her first victory as a professional two weeks ago in the Symetra Tour’s Guardian Retirement Championship, beating Nicole Broch Larsen with a birdie on the fifth hole of a playoff.

Altomare expects to be eligible the rest of the year for LPGA Tour events after gaining status on the money-list reshuffle.

Possibly being in LPGA Tour contention going into the final day is another new experience for the 25-year-old, though Jutanugarn’s scorching finish made that less likely. Asked about her approach for Sunday, Altomare laughed and gave a shrug.

“I don’t really know, actually,” she said. “I’ve never really been in this position on the LPGA. It’s just the same, I think. Just go out there and just be aggressive and hopefully it’s your day.

LPGA Tour

So Yeon Ryu shoots 65 to take LPGA Tour lead in Alabama

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So Yeon Ryu (Matt Sullivan/Getty Images)

PRATTVILLE, Ala. – So Yeon Ryu birdied five of her last eight holes for a bogey-free 7-under 65 and a two-stroke lead Friday in the windy Yokohama Tire LPGA Classic.

Ranked 10th in the world but sixth in the race for the four spots on South Korea’s Olympic team, Ryu made three straight birdies on Nos. 2-4 and added two more on the par-4 sixth and par-5 eighth.

“Yesterday my shot was really great, but I couldn’t make a lot of putts, but today I pretty much made everything,” Ryu said. “It was a bit windy, but we played with a lot of wind the last few weeks, so it wasn’t really like really big difference. I think I was good at reading the wind as well, especially happy with having a bogey-free round and having seven birdies under my belt really feels good.”

The 2011 U.S. Women’s Open champion had a 9-under 135 total on the links-style Senator Course at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail’s Capitol Hill complex.

“I heard it’s not going to be this windy on the weekend, so I think the course is going to feel slightly easier,” Ryu said. “I think I just want to do what I did today, just focus on my ball and focus on each shot, focus on the moment.”

Minjee Lee, Morgan Pressel and Ryann O’Toole were tied for second.

Lee closed with a bogey for a 70. The 19-year-old Australian won last month in Hawaii for her second LPGA Tour title.

“I think the wind direction was a little bit different,” Lee said. “I feel like I had more, maybe crosswinds and not as many downwind holes, so it makes it a little more trickier. But all in all, I think I played pretty solid.”

Pressel had a bogey-free 68.

“I’ve only made one bogey over the last two days, which is helpful,” Pressel said. “I’ve made a lot of good putts, both for birdie and for par, and just haven’t put myself in a lot of trouble. … It’s very difficult to play in the wind. I just really tried to stay patient out there and get birdies when I had the opportunity, but kind of sometimes play a little safer than going at every pin.”

O’Toole birdied her final hole for a 67.

First-round leader Laetitia Beck followed her opening 65 with a 73 to drop into a tie for fifth at 6 under with Caroline Masson (68) and Annie Park (71).

“I’m going to learn from today and hopefully handle the pressure a little better tomorrow,” said Beck, the first Israeli player to qualify for the LPGA Tour. “I think the wind made it a little harder, and some pin placements were tricky, and for me today the putts were harder.”

Hamilton’s Alena Sharp is the top Canadian. She had a 5-under 67 to move to 4 under, good for 15th place. Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., and Samantha Richdale of Kelowna, B.C., both shot 73s and are 1 over. Maude-Aimee Leblanc, of Sherbrooke, Que., and Quebec City’s Anne-Catherine Tanguay failed to make the cut.

Fourth-ranked Stacy Lewis, the 2012 winner, topped the group at 5 under after a 68. She birdied the final two holes.

“Stayed patient there on the back nine and was rewarded at the end with two good birdies,” said Lewis, winless in 48 events. “It’s playing hard, so I knew every shot you can get back and get a little closer is always good. It was blowing harder yesterday afternoon, but it was still going pretty good.”

Eighth-ranked Amy Yang and Gerina Piller also shot 68 to reach 5 under.

Michelle Wie was 1 under after a 72. She’s winless since the 2014 U.S. Women’s Open and hasn’t had a top-10 finish in 34 events.

Kris Tamulis missed the cut in her title defence with rounds of 76 and 77.

LPGA Tour

Laetitia Beck takes LPGA Tour Lead in Alabama

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Laetitia Beck (Matt Sullivan/Getty Images)

PRATTVILLE, Ala. – Laetitia Beck took the first-round lead in the Yokohama Tire LPGA Classic, dodging some of the wind Thursday morning in a bogey-free 7-under 65.

The 24-year-old Beck, the first Israeli player to qualify for the LPGA Tour, was in the first group of the day off 10th tee. She birdied four of the final five holes on her opening nine in calmer conditions, and had three more – two on par 5s – on the windier second nine.

“I think the winds picked up for us only like the last five, six holes, so we played the front nine without much wind,” Beck said. “That front nine was 4 under, so it really helped.”

Annie Park and Minjee Lee were tied for second at 67. They played in the afternoon.

Beck hit 11 of 14 fairways and 15 of 18 greens and had only 26 putts on the links-style Senator Course at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail’s Capitol Hill complex.

“I think here on this golf course it’s all putting, because it’s a very scorable course,” Beck said. “Hitting a lot of greens, hit the right part of the green, and I think I was doing well making putts, even though I did miss birdie opportunities, but I made good putts for birdies.”

Normally held in hotter and firmer conditions late in the summer, the tournament was moved up because of the Olympics.

“The conditions are great,” Beck said. “The greens are softer than what I played last year. They were softer so we can attack more, so I think that’s why it’s a scorable course this year, especially because we can just go for it, especially with having short irons.”

The former Duke player is winless on the tour and has made only two cuts in eight events this season.

Park birdied five of the first seven holes. The 21-year-old former University of Southern California player won three times last year on the Symetra Tour and topped the circuit’s money list.

“It was definitely not easy out there with the wind picking up, but I hit some good shots,” Park said. “There were some lucky shots out there, too, and then I think putting was kind of difficult, especially with the wind and the slopes. There were some really scary putts out there, especially when it’s helping wind downhill, but I had a good round.”

Lee had four straight birdies on her first nine and birdied three of her last five. The 19-year-old Australian won last month in Hawaii for her second LPGA Tour title.

“It was pretty chilly,” Lee said. “I had my jumper on warming up and long pants and long sleeves. … Just the wind makes it cold.”

Mexico’s Alejandra Llaneza opened with a 68.

“I’m pretty happy,” Llaneza said. “I didn’t know what to expect today. I have been actually really sick this week, so I was just like, ‘OK, one shot at a time.’ I think that helped. I got on a roll for a little bit there, so that was exciting.”

Morgan Pressel, Vicky Hurst and Taiwan’s Candie Kung shot 69.

“It was tough out there,” Pressel said. “Once we made the turn, around 10, my hat blew off, I lost my ball marker. The wind played really tough. It was tough to get it close to the hole, really, so when you end up 40 feet on some of these greens, it’s just good to two-putt.”

Michelle Wie had a 71. She’s winless since the 2014 U.S. Women’s Open and hasn’t had a top-10 finish in 34 events.

Fourth-ranked Stacy Lewis, the 2012 winner, had a late bogey in a 71. She’s winless in 48 events.

No. 5 Brooke Henderson had a 72. The 18-year-old Canadian has eight top-10 finishes this year.

“It wasn’t one of my best days today, but I hung in there really well and was happy to get two birdies kind of late in my back nine to get it back to even par,” Henderson said. “Definitely some opportunities out there, but the conditions are pretty tough. The wind is pretty strong today.”

Japan’s Haru Nomura also shot 72. She has two victories this season.

Defending champion Kris Tamulis had a 76.

LPGA Tour

WestJet and Canadian Pacific honour moms

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Up-and-coming golf star, Brooke Henderson, with her mom, Darlene Henderson. (CNW Group/WestJet)

CALGARY – Today, WestJet and Canadian Pacific revealed a mother’s day video celebrating Canadian golf idols, Lorie Kane and Brooke Henderson, and the love they have for their mothers. Journey to the LPGA: #LoveMom witnesses the unconditional love between mother and daughter and inspires the golfers to thank and recognize the one person who’s been with them every step of the way to the top – mom.

“As the official airline sponsor for the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open (CPWO), we watch many moms walk the golf course cheering for, consoling and guiding their daughters,” said Richard Bartrem, WestJet Vice-President, Marketing Communications. “The idea for the video comes from this journey, and the connection and experience that we all have with our moms or with someone who is like a mom. We believe that connecting people and creating amazing experiences is truly the core of our brand. Journey to the LPGA: #LoveMom will inspire people to think of how they can connect with their own mom and make the day extra special.”

“Being a professional golfer is an intense physical, mental and emotional journey – a journey one doesn’t take alone,” said Mark Wallace, CP Vice-President, Corporate Affairs. “Through this video we celebrate the journey taken by these professional golfers, their families and their moms. We look forward to their arrival at the destination, the 2016 CPWO, to be held in Calgary this summer.”

“It has been a thrill to watch Lorie go from the Belvedere Golf and Country Club in Charlottetown all the way to the LPGA Tour and now the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame,” said Lorie Kane’s mother, Marilyn Kane. “Participating in this video shoot has been an emotional and surreal experience for me. As I reflect on Lorie’s tremendous career and the important role family has played in it, I am truly proud beyond words.”

WestJet and Canadian Pacific invite individuals to follow Lorie and Brooke’s lead in saying thanks to their moms by posting their favourite “mom” memory for a chance to take their mom to the CPWO. Enter by either commenting on the official video on the WestJet Facebook page or using the #LoveMom hashtag and sharing a link to the video on Twitter. Eligible entries have a chance to get closer to the game and win two tickets and an exclusive “Inside the Ropes” experience to the CPWO in Calgary this summer. Winners from outside Calgary will receive flights and accommodations. The contest runs May 3 to May 8, 2016. Please visit the WestJet blog for full contest rules and regulations.

Journey to the LPGA: #LoveMom is the first WestJet video to be released featuring Lorie and Brooke. WestJet and Canadian Pacific teamed up with creative agency, studio m, to create the video ahead of the CPWO taking place at Priddis Greens Golf and Country Club near Calgary, August 22 to 28, 2016. Tickets to the tournament can be purchased at cpwomensopen.com.