Laura Diaz scorched to a three-shot lead at the inaugural Grand China Air LPGA yesterday, posting 10 birdies in a course-record nine-under-par 63, and credited her brother for her fine form.
The American leads by three shots from South Korea’s Lee Seon-hwa in outright second, with another Korean, H.J. Choi, and England’s Karen Stupples another shot back after returning 67s
South Korea’s Oh Ji-young and Swede Louise Friberg posted 68s to round out the top five at the Hainan West Coast Golf Club. World No. 2 Annika Sorenstam carded a 72.
PHOTO: AP
The leading Chinese player was the impressive Yang Tao-li, an invitation of the China Golf Association, whose three-under 69 puts her in equal seventh place.
After making a birdie at the first hole, Diaz notched three more birdies on the front nine, offset by her only bogey of the day at the fifth.
However, she was red-hot on the back nine with birdies at the 10th, 12th through to the 14th holes and another pair at the final two holes.
Diaz paid tribute to her brother, well-known US teaching professional Ron Philo Jr, who is filling in as her caddie this week.
“He was available to come with me to China. My husband normally caddies and he had to take our son home [from Hawaii after the Kapalua LPGA Classic last week],” she said. “So we have a little different mojo going on out there.”
“My brother is a fantastic player and we did a lot of working together on every club selection and every putt. So he helped me really be committed and I was just able to drop some putts,” Diaz said.
Among the big names, Sweden’s Helen Alfredsson is at two-under-par 70, Suzann Pettersen returned an even-par 72.
Meanwhile, Taiwan’s Yani Tseng fought back with three consecutive back-nine birdies to finish with an even-par 72, but still managed to make a splash after her round.
The 19-year-old announced that she would donate US$50,000 to the Zhejiang Xinhua Compassionate Education Foundation’s “Plum Blossom Class” in Sichuan.
The organization provides secondary education to 250 students affected by May’s deadly Sichuan earthquakes.
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