LOTTE C’ship: Aditi gives away early gains in first round, lies tied

Aditi, who played her first Major of the season, ANA Inspiration, birdied first, third, fifth, ninth and 13th to get to five-under.

At one stage, Aditi was five-under through 13 holes, before she suffered in the closing stages of a water-logged opening day.

Despite a good start, Aditi Ashok dropped a double bogey and two bogeys in her last five holes to finish one-under 71 and in tied 47th place at the LOTTE Championship, presented by Hershey.

At one stage, Aditi was five-under through 13 holes, before she suffered in the closing stages of a water-logged opening day here.

Aditi, who played her first Major of the season, ANA Inspiration, birdied first, third, fifth, ninth and 13th to get to five-under. That included birdies on each of the first three par-5s, but in conditions that were increasingly becoming difficult, she double bogeyed the par-5 -- 14th, bogeyed 16th and 18th for a disappointing finish.

The Indian is playing her first two rounds with Belen Mozo, who she played with enroute to her first LET win at Hero Indian Open last year in India, and American Jaya Marie Green.

Mi Hyang Lee and Paula Creamer are tied at matching 6-under-par 66s at the top of the leaderboard while five golfers are tied for second at 5-under.

On a wet opening day, there was a 44-minute rain delay as aggressive rainstorm blew through, which also led to standing water on the greens at the Ko Olina Golf Club. Play was finally suspended at 7:04 pm local time. Prior to the rainstorm, a large number of golfers were holding the lead at 5-under.

Paula Creamer broke out of that pack to come into the clubhouse prior to Lee at 6-under. Wednesday’s 66 was Creamer’s best round of 2017, and she credits a change in her putting style for her success.

Americans Beth Allen and Lizette Salas, South Koreans Su-Yeon Jung and Eun-Hee Ji, and Canadian Alena Sharp are all tied for second at 5-under-par.

So Yeon Ryu, the winner of the ANA Inspiration two weeks ago and leader of the Race to the CME Globe, sits two shots back of the lead after an opening-round 4-under-par 68.

World No. 1 Lydia Ko shot one-over 73, while World No. 3 Ariya Jutanugarn scored 3-under-par 69.

The defending champion Minjee Lee matched Ko’s opening round, a one-over-par 73. She sits seven shots back of the co-leaders. Michelle Wie, a Hawaii native, fired a one-under-par 71.