Three late bogeys on Thursday set Paula Reto back a little, but she still managed to card a three-under-par 69 in the first round of the LPGA Tour’s Buick LPGA Shanghai at Qizhong Garden Golf Club in Shanghai.
Reto started beautifully with a birdie on her first hole, the 10th, and followed it with three more on her front nine. She added two more after the turn on the first and second, but bogeys on five, seven and eight meant she finished the first round in a share of 22nd.
At the top of the leaderboard, Sei Young Kim of Korea also started on the back nine, and turned in 28 with five consecutive birdies from her first hole, an eagle on the 17th and another birdie on the 18th. She made bogey on the sixth, but birdies all three of her remaining holes for her 10-under-par 62.
She was two clear of Celine Boutier of France and three ahead of America’s Lucy Li who was in third on seven-under-par.
Ashleigh Buhai was in a share of 59th after the first round with her one-over-par 73 containing four bogeys and three birdies.
