Ashleigh Buhai of South Africa set the pace at the Kroger Queen City Championship with a 7-under-par 65 in the first round on Thursday in Maineville, Ohio.
Buhai had eight birdies and a one-shot lead on Friday. Thailand’s Jeeno Thitikul and China’s Yan Liu are 6-under 66s after their first-round wins at TPC River’s Bend, which is hosting the tournament for the first time.
The group tied for 5-under 67 includes World No. 1 Nelly Korda, New Zealand’s Olympic gold medalist Lydia Ko and Ireland’s Leona Maguire. Also part of that tie are Canada’s Savannah Grewal, Thailand’s Jasmine Suwannapura, Taiwan’s Peiyun Chien, Germany’s Polly Mack and Angel Yin.
For now, all eyes are on Buhai, the 2022 Women’s Open champion who has won 22 majors around the world, most of them in her native South Africa.
“I hit it well, I put it well. That usually combines with what he did,” said Buhai. “Yes, I think I was smart when I attacked. At the same time, play for areas.
“There were a couple of pins out there where you still had to try to be aggressive, and the greens were a little tight and passed, but then they did a good up and down for me to stay on.”
Buhai birdied the par-3 16th hole to go 7-under before carding his lone bogey on the next hole. He won the No. 18, par-5, and his last birdie of the day.
He said he likes how TPC River’s Bend has three accessible par-5 holes.
“I’m not tall. I’m about halfway here and I can get up to three of the par-5s, which was nice for a change,” Buhai said. “So I think it’s set to go down, but at the same time, there were some good spikes there that were in the front and they kind of let the wind down and you ended up tall and I had to take that back.”
Thitikul, 21, is a former world No. 1 but is looking for his first LPGA win in two years. He teamed with China’s Ruoning Yin to win the Dow Championship, a singles tour team event, in June.
“I think that’s why I’m playing well and my mind is relaxed,” said Thitikul. “So it made me want to play well, not like putting too much pressure on myself.”
Thitikul played his round with Korda, who hit all 14 fairways in regulation and played a bogey-free round. It’s his first action since helping the United States beat Team Europe in the Solheim Cup.
Everyone who played last week will be tired,” said Korda. “I’m just trying to take it one step at a time, know that my energy levels aren’t great, but I’m still motivated and 100 percent.”
Ko also went bogey-free Thursday and is playing for the first time since winning the Women’s Open just two weeks after her Olympic victory.
“I think my husband and I sometimes turn to each other and say, ‘Wow, I can’t believe you won the Olympics and then the AIG Women’s Open.’ So it was like being slapped in the face twice in a very good way,” said Ko. “Obviously I’m very grateful.”
Australia’s Minjee Lee, the defending champion, opened with a 1-under 71.
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