Nicole Garcia opened her campaign in the US Women’s Open on Thursday with a two-over-par 73 giving her a share of 67th at Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club in North Carolina.
Garcia, who got in to the tournament the hard way through a qualifier, had a tough baptism of fire as she made double-bogey seven on the opening par-five first. She settled things down with a well-taken birdie on the par-four fourth. It was pars all the way for Garcia after that, but for a dropped shot on the par-three 16th.
Paula Reto, the only other South African in the field, started well from the 10th, making birdie on the 12th, but there were bogeys on the 14th and 17th as she turned in one-over. She birdied the first, but had a double-bogey on the par-three fifth. There was one more dropped shot coming home, on the seventh as she signed for a three-over 74 and a share of 86th.
Swedish amateur Ingrid Lindblad held the lead for a long time after her early start and a superb seven-birdie round of six-under 65, which was marred but just a single bogey. But she was overtaken in the afternoon by American Mina Harigae who signed for a 64 after going out in 30 with five birdies on the front nine. She had four more birdies on the inward nine, but she also had two bogeys as she led by one.
Three players were on four-under: Women’s Open champion Anna Nordqvist of Sweden, American Ruan O’Toole and Minjee Lee of Australia.
