It was a tough day at the office for the two South Africans playing in the first women’s major championship of the year, and Paula Reto fared better than her compatriot with a four-over-par 76.
That gave her a share of 101st after the first round of The Chevron Championship at The Club at Carlton Woods in The Woodlands, Texas. That was considerably better than the 132nd and last for Ashleigh Buhai who battled all the way for her 11-over-par 83. And it would have been of no consolation to Buhai that she moved up one position to 131st after the withdrawal ahead of the second round of American Angel Yin.
Up front, American Lauren Coughlin will sleep on a first-round lead for just the second time in her career after shooting an opening 66.
Coughlin went bogey-free with three birdies on the front nine (holes two, four and five) and three on the back nine (10, 11 and 18). She was accurate in her approach and with her flat stick, hitting 14 of 18 greens, recording 10 one-putts and needing just 26 putts overall to get through her first round.
Two strokes behind Coughlin at four-under are two-time LPGA Tour winner Marina Alex, eight-time JLPGA winner Minami Katsu and major champion Nelly Korda, who is chasing her fifth win in as many consecutive starts on tour. Korda fared the best of the players in the afternoon wave, who dealt with stronger winds and drier conditions than the morning competitors.
Reto made two birdies, but four bogeys and a double really hurt her score. Buhai had just one birdie with eight bogeys and two doubles.
