Veronica Felibert grabs first-round lead at Walmart NW Arkansas Championship 2012
Venezuelan rookie Veronica Felibert shot a 65 in the first round of the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship 2012 to grab an early lead.
The Walmart NW Arkansas Championship, being played at Pinnacle Country Club, Rogers, is featuring most of the top-ranked LPGA (Ladies Professional Golf Association) stars. While the main attraction is the current
world number one Yani Tseng, who is seeking to defend her title.
Felibert kicked off the first round in an impressive style, as she parred the very first hole. She stunned the spectators on the next hole, as she drained a birdie-putt.
Other contenders also tried to surge ahead in the opening round, but lesser-known players looked in a far better position, as they scored well to stay ahead.
The Venezuelan star grabbed attention once again when she posted two back-to-back birdies on the par-4 4th and the par-4 5th hole.
According to the commentators, the weather conditions remained almost favourable, giving players plenty of chances to score well. Comfortable winds swept through the course all day, while it is forecast that
the weather will remain the same over the next three rounds.
In addition to Felibert, Chinese Shanshan Feng also displayed a better-than-expected game, as she fired a 66 to take the second position on the leaderboard.
Speaking to the media about her stunning performance, Feng said that she is happy to find herself in a stronger position. The Chinese star was keen to point out that the next three rounds will prove even tougher,
as the field is featuring big names.
When asked how she is going to face rivals in the next round, Feng said that she may not be the best contender in the roster, but is in high spirits thanks to her victory at the LPGA Championship 2012.
“I was still thinking I'm kind of a good player but maybe I'm still not good enough to win," said Feng. "But then that win, it gave me a lot of confidence that now I believe in myself. I'm good enough to win
like more than one tournament".
According to the first-round results, most of the top-ranked players are standing outside the top 10 — a situation at odds with the predictions. However, analysts pointed out that the leaderboard positions
are likely to see a dramatic shift in the next three rounds, with favourite contenders seeking to outperforming rivals.
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