MANILA, Philippines – Yuka Saso played true to form and dished out one of her best starts on the LPGA Tour — a 67 — but Jin Young Ko proved better as she doubled the former’s four-under card with a scorching 63 to seize control in the opener of the Cognizant Founders Cup in New Jersey Thursday (Friday, Manila time).
Ten flights of three players each actually failed to complete play due to darkness but Ko’s blistering start could stand the delay as Thai Moriya Jutanugarn, the best ranking from among those stranded, could only post a three-under card with three holes to play.
The former world No. 1 thus stormed to a three-stroke clubhouse lead over Germany’s Sandra Gal, who came out of a medical extension to churn out a bogey-free 66 with Saso leading the 67 scorers, who included perhaps the most-feared player in the fold — the come-backing world No. 1 Nelly Korda.
But Ko was hardly bothered by the Olympic gold medalist’s return as she endured her long title defense due to pandemic with a strong start at the well-kept par-71 Mountain Ridge Country Club in West Caldwell that got her on track for a third championship in the season about to end.
She birdied the first two holes in morning wave then stepped up her assault at the back with six birdies, a pair of three-string binges from Nos. 10 and 14 from various ranges that put her way ahead of the stellar 132-player field on a 10-of-14 (driving) and 15-of-18 (greens-in-regulation) showing she capped with a 25-putt performance.
“I had a great round today (Thursday),” said Ko, out to redeem herself from a failed bid in last week’s ShopRite Classic which she co-led in the first two rounds but yielded to the crown to a hot-finishing Celine Boutier of France.
“I was little sad last week, so I was thinking like keep it all for my putting this week, and I had great putting today,” said Ko, who topped the Volunteers of America Classic last July and captured the Portland Classic last month. “I got nine birdies today and one bogey, but yeah, still pretty good.”
Saso also did turn in a fine start — four birdies on an impressive 13-of-14 driving norm while missing just three greens. But a struggle on the tricky surface led to 31 putts that practically stymied her first round charge.
Still, her 33-34 served notice of the ICTSI-backed ace’s drive for a second LPGA crown after scoring a major breakthrough in the US Women’s Open last June. Saso also outshot flightmates world No. 4 Sei Young Kim and 2019 US Women's Open titlist Jeongeun Lee6, who carded identical 70s, but just couldn’t match Korea’s top player’s near-impeccable round.
Korda, meanwhile, hardly showed the effects of a three-week hiatus as she gunned down six birdies against two bogeys to join Saso, France’s Perrine Delacour and Koreans Amy Yang and So Yeon Ryu at third.
“I think I played pretty good today,” said Korda, who like Saso groped a bit on the greens, also needing 31 putts after hitting all but one green.
Canada’s Brooke Henderson, who tied for second with Ko and Inbee Park in ShopRite Classic, rushed to the 18th tee to guarantee her group could finish in time, settling for par on the closing par-5 hole to card a 33-34 for a share of third.
Dottie Ardina, on the other hand, blew a pitch-in eagle feat on the par-4 No. 2 with three bogeys against one birdie in the last 10 holes for a 71 and a share of 56th in the $3 million championship spread over 72 holes.
Heavy fog led to a 90-minute delay and play was eventually suspended due to darkness with 30 players still to finish their respective rounds.
Saso, who had a similar hot start in ShopRite but slowed down by shaky putting in the last two days to end up at tied for 19th, got going with a birdie on the opening hole, gained another stroke on the par-3 No. 7 and bucked a missed chance on the par-5 next with another birdie on No. 10. She would flub a couple more birdie opportunities but cashed in on No. 18 to net another stroke for a 33-34.