Akie Iwai recorded 10 birdies to take a three-shot lead after the first round on the Honda LPGA Thailand on Thursday.
Iwai tied the 18-hole scoring record at the event, last accomplished by Japanese compatriot Yuka Saso in the final round in 2022.
In second place and three shots back after a round of 65 is Maja Stark of Sweden, with home-nation favorite Moriya Jutanugarn standing at 6-under after shooting 66 at the Siam Country Club Old Course in Pattaya, Chonburi.
Under partly cloudy skies on a day that reached 88 degrees, Iwai recorded a front-nine score of 29 with seven birdies and two pars. She was one of five players without a bogey on Thursday.
A tour rookie, she is playing in Thailand this week on a sponsor’s invitation and was, of course, pleased by her performance. She also played in the event last season.
“Today, my shots and my putting were good,” said Iwai, 22. “I’ve learned where to miss and where not to miss. I am getting to know the golf course very well.”
Stark didn’t play a bogey-free round, but she was prolific on Thursday with six birdies and one bogey to go along with an eagle on the par-5 No. 7 on the way to her 65.
“It was a lot of fun,” Stark said. “Finally got more control of my driver off the tee and then it felt like it was just pretty simple golf. Hit a lot of greens.”
Jutanugarn had her seventh birdie on the par-5 No. 18 to finish her round four back of the leader. Said she was driven by the home crowd in Thailand.
“It’s so nice. You know, like every time coming back here we always had really, really good support from Thai fans,” she said. “Now we even have more like international, like I saw a lot of Japanese, Koreans. … They love LPGA to always (come) back here.”
Another Thai, defending champion Patty Tavatanakit, mixed five birdies and four bogeys to shoot a 71, good for a T33.
Three players fired a 67 to enter the second round five back of Iwai — Jin Young Ko of South Korea, Denmark’s Nanna Koerstz Madsen and American Angel Yin.
Yin acknowledged the heat affected her game.
“Kind of disoriented,” she said. “I think I was a little hot. First time walking 18 this week. First time walking 18 other than my tournament rounds in the beginning of the year, so I was a little tired.”
–Field Level Media
