MANILA, Philippines - Jennifer Rosales rode on a birdie-binge at the back to fire a two-under 70 but trailed Thai ace Ariya Jutanugarn by six at the start of the LPGA LOTTE Championship at the Ko Olina Golf Club in Kapolei, Hawaii yesterday.
Rosales, out to snap a long title drought on the circuit, birdied three of the first six holes at the back but settled for a two-under card with a bogey on the par-3 16th, dropping her to joint 27th at the start of the 72-hole $300,000 championship.
She was flawless off the mound, hitting all fairways but missed two greens and flubbed a couple of birdie chances, settling for 32 putts in a day of torrid scoring.
A total of 77 players finished under par in the opening round with 15 players turning in a 68-or-lower.
Jutanugarn led the attack with a brilliant eagle-spiked eight-under 64 as she wrested a one-stroke lead over Norway’s Suzann Pettersen and Korean Kyung Seo-hee, who both had 65, while Danielle Kang of the US and another Korean Joo Him Hyo each had 66s.
Jutanugarn rattled off six birdies at the front for a 30, including three straight from No. 3 then hit an eagle on No. 14 and another birdie on the next to negate her lone bogey on No. 10.
Rosales joined Inbee Park in 27th as the world No. 1 mixed four birdies against two bogeys while the two other players with chances of taking over the No. 1 spot this week – Stacy Lewis and Yani Tseng – shot a 67 and 71, respectively.