Ashleigh Buhai was one of four players who had an opening round of seven-under-par 64 on Friday in the first round of the LPGA Tour’s Walmart NW Arkansas Championship at Pinnacle Country Club in Rogers, Arkansas.
She started her round on the 10th, and had made four birdies by the time she reached the turn. She didn’t make another through the first four holes on the front nine, and she dropped a shot on the fifth. But she atoned with four birdies in a row to her final hole on the ninth.
That put her in a share of second, one stroke behind the lead. With a first-round 63, Jasmine Suwannapura of Thailand. Suwannapura, who sits tied for first in greens in regulation hit through 18 holes (17), made eight birdies en route to her bogey-free day in Arkansas. She opened with a one-putt birdie on her first hole of the day, and notched two more on five and seven before the turn. Her last five birdies came on the back-nine, with four in her last six holes including 17 and 18. In total, she went three-under on the four par-fives.
Buhai shared second with Liqi Zeng of China, Spaniard Carlota Ciganda and Mexico’s Maria Fassi.
Paula Reto opened with a two-under-par 69 giving her a share of 42nd. She made an eagle, four birdies and four bogeys in an up-and-down round.
