Charley Hull (-5), Nelly Korda (-4) and Lilia Vu (-3) have put on a real show on the first day of the AIG Women’s Open. They set off together at 14:10 peninsular time in what could be considered as the big star match of the day at Saint Andrews. They have not disappointed in the slightest.
It is true that the afternoon shift has had much more favourable conditions than in the morning. The wind has decreased since four in the afternoon and although the cold has been taking its toll, the reality is that playing golf was more affordable than a few hours before. In fact, of the top ten at the end of this first day, there are only two players from the morning shift, Ruoning Yin (-4) and the Korean Jenny Shin (-3). Even more merit has the daytime round of PAR achieved by Julia López Ramírez which allows her to close the first day in the top 20.
Let’s go back to the aforementioned match which, by the way, even being great in terms of play has been very slow in terms of pace, six hours and eight minutes have lasted the 18 holes. This Thursday, the Englishwoman Charley Hull has played with full conviction and has closed the day at the top. It seemed very difficult to match the four under par that the Chinese Yin had put in the clubhouse at about two in the afternoon and Hull has not only achieved it but has surpassed it. The nine second holes of the Old Course have been a Chinese torture for most of the players. Not for Hull who has signed a partial of four under par in that stretch. Of course, the best of the day in that partial.
The greens were slow and it was very common to see many putts falling short this afternoon. Charley has been able to interpret them perfectly and playing very aggressively has managed to close a round of 67 strokes. She doesn’t have a Major and she knows it. She wants to break down that door and she will achieve it sooner or later. Last year she already flirted with victory, but it escaped her in a grey last day. She doesn’t want it to escape her again.
Precisely Lilia Vu, last year’s champion, was tailing the Englishwoman and it seemed that together they could escape in that minus five. Finally, the American was not able to keep up the pace and finished in a magnificent three under par thanks to a birdie on the penultimate flag of the day.
The one who was not starting the tournament was Nelly Korda. Yes, no, she arrived at the tee of hole 14 with a good round of one under par, but it seemed somewhat insufficient for what her two match partners and the playing conditions were doing. At that moment the World Number One changed the chip, stepped on the accelerator and with a magnificent iron game she pulled out three birdies in the last five flags to finish in second position. Nelly Korda’s ability to finish high despite much of her round not seeming to be going her way is very notable.
Korda has even struck oil from hole 17, in which only eight players have signed the birdie and more than 65 players have made bogey or worse. The penultimate hole of the Old Course at Saint Andrews has been a real slaughter.
Tied with Lilia Vu at three under par are five other players: the aforementioned Jenny Shin, Andrea Lee, Mi Hyang Lee, Mao Saigo and Patty Tavatanatik. Pay close attention to the Thai because if she had been a little finer on the greens today she could have easily finished six under par.
Five Spaniards set off in the afternoon shift and Ana Peláez shone with her own light. The Malaga-born player set off from the tenth tee and faced the toughest stretch of the course first. The Finca Cortesín player suffered and finished two over par her first nine holes. The Spaniard has known how to arm herself with patience and has clung to the course as she knows how to do. Two birdies on the second and fifth hole of the second round have allowed her to finish at PAR of Saint Andrews and finish alongside Julia López in the top 20 of the first day. Much merit.
Marta Martín finished the day among the top fifty in the tournament and that the day looked complicated as she finished her first round, starting from the tenth, with a cumulative of plus four. The Madrid-born player has been able to stabilize the round and after four consecutive pars has achieved a spectacular eagle that has put her at +2. Only Casandra Alexander and she have achieved the eagle in that hole. Then, another four pars. Marta doesn’t need to make birdies.
Of the rest of the Spaniards, it is worth highlighting the cards of 75 strokes from Carlota Ciganda, Nuria Iturrioz and María Hernández. The three of them are just on the cut-off limit at the moment and tomorrow they will have to push a little if they want to make the cut in the Open. Right now the five Spaniards would play the weekend at Saint Andrews. Considering the difficulties that the day has presented, it is to be congratulated. Perhaps Carlota expected to give something more in this start, but there is still room for manoeuvre to fight for big things.
