Ashleigh Buhai opened with a bogey-free three-under-par 69 n Thursday in what has become known as ‘Asia’s Major’ on the LPGA Tour, the HSBC Women’s World Championship at Sentosa Golf Club in Singapore.
That put her in a share of fifth place after the first round of the limited field event with just 65 players. In the lead on five-under-par was Patty Tavatanakit of Thailand, with A Lim Kim and Inbee Park of South Korea sharing second Danielle Kang of the United States on four-under. Buhai shared fifth with seven other players.
Buhai started her round on the first, and birdied the second hole. It was pars all the way after that until the 13th, which she birdied, and she picked up one more shot with a closing birdie on the 18th.
“Pretty confident about my game right now,” said Tavatanakit, who won the ANA Inspiration for her first major championship title last year. “More so comfortable just being on the course. I feel like I found my inner peace just being on the course, and I just enjoy it a little bit more.”
In her first event of 2022, world number one Jin Young Ko continued her streak of consecutive rounds in the 60s with a birdie at the final hole – it stands at a remarkable run of 15.
