Haeji Kang shares early lead at Hoylake
South Korean Haeji Kang shot a 70 in the first round of Ricoh Women’s British Open 2012 to share an early lead with fellow South Korean So Yeon Ryu.
Kang kicked off the Ricoh Women’s British Open at Royal Golf Club, Hoylake, United Kingdom, with a strong roster full of almost all the top-ranked LPGA (Ladies Professional Golf Association) contenders, however,
her sensible strokes on most of the holes helped her edge past rivals.
Getting off to a solid start in a relatively calm weather conditions on Thursday, Kang was confident right from the start as she judged the ball well on the fairways and greens.
The South Korean looked a bit under pressure after she bogeyed the first hole, but she quickly regained her composure when parred the next four holes in a row. Kang kept the pressure intact on rivals as she
rattled off two straight birdies on the difficult par-3 6th and par-4 7th hole.
Commentators said that Kang’s performance has been phenomenal in the opening round not only because she grabbed an early lead but also because of her resilience.
She saw her score fluctuate through the 18 holes as she carded two bogeys, one double bogey and six birdies.
Kang did not look nervous when she scored a double bogey on the 8th hole as she bounced back after she shot a birdie on the next hole.
Speaking to the media at the end of the round, Kang said that she was confident when she kicked off the major tournament as her biggest aim for the day was to remain in contention throughout the opening round.
She said that her strokes were surprisingly well on Thursday, which helped her avoid making too many errors.
“I hit it pretty good out there. My iron shots were just inside 20 feet all the time, so I could just putt it out,” the LPGA titan said.
Kang went on to say that a couple of bogeys rattled her to some extent, but she kept a grip on her game till the final hole. “Actually I started with a bogey but I managed myself out there to stay calm. Especially
this kind of major, you have to be very patient. I think what's I did really good today so I'm really happy with my round today”.
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