Montgomery, October 02: Scotland’s Janice Moodie made birdie on a half dozen of her final seven holes en route to an eight-under par 64 and a one-stroke lead after the opening round of the LPGA’s Navistar Classic.
Just behind Moodie is 14-year-old Alexis Thompson while world number one Lorena Ochoa, France’s Karen Icher and American Michelle Wie are two strokes behind Moodie.
The 36-year-old Moodie began at the No. 10 hole and got off to a quick start with a birdie on the 12th. She is a two-time winner on the LPGA Tour.
She parred three in a row around the turn before catching fire, rolling in a 10-foot birdie putt on hole No. 3. She sank another birdie putt on number four, parred the fifth and tapped in for birdie on the sixth.
Moodie sank a 25-footer at the seventh, then got up and down for birdie at No. 8. She closed her round with a four-foot putt for birdie on the ninth.
“I think I was more thinking about how the golf course has dried out compared to making the birdies,” said Moodie.
“I didn’t hit very many stray shots, but I hit a couple out there. My head was just moving a little bit. My caddie said ‘Just keep your head still.’ That was my whole focus on the back nine, and that seemed to work.”
Thompson won the 2008 US Girls’ Junior Golf Championship.
“Everything was working for me,” Thompson said. “My ball striking was good. My driver was a little off, but I’m not going to complain. I rolled my putter really good too.”
Ochoa, the defending champion, had three birdies in a bogey-free round, while Wie made birdie on four holes on the back nine.
—Agencies