By Canadian Press

Henderson one shot back of Pace after first-round at KPMG Women’s PGA Championship

Jun 22, 2023 | 6:34 PM

SPRINGFIELD, N.J. (AP-CP) — Lee-Anne Pace of South Africa made a two-putt birdie on the final hole in fading daylight for a 5-under 66 and the first-round lead Thursday in the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at Baltusrol.

Two-time major winner Brooke Henderson of Canada and Ruoning Yin and Xiyi Lin of China were a shot back as Baltusrol’s historic Lower Course yielded 16 under-par rounds to the field of 156 players.

Henderson, of Smiths Falls, Ont., won this event in 2016 and the Evian last year for her majors. She had a bogey and five birdies, the last from about 35 feet on the ninth hole, her final one.

Maddie Szeryk of London, Ont., was tied for 86th at 4-over to round out the Canadians.

The 42-year-old Pace won her lone LPGA Tour title in 2014 in China. She’s playing in her second event in the United States this year.

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Wichanee Meechair of Thailand was alone at 68. Leona Maguire of Ireland, the winner last week in Michigan, was at 69 with Ayaka Furue and Yuka Saso of Japan, Jenny Shin of South Korea, Celine Borge of Norway and Esther Henseleit of Germany.

Rose Zhang, the two-time NCAA individual champion at Stanford who became the first player in 72 years to win an LPGA Tour event in her pro debut this month at nearby Liberty National, opened with a 70.

Teeing off at 2:28 p.m., Pace made seven pars to start her round, then finished with five birdies in her final 11 holes, hitting the par-5 18th in two and getting down in two. She also made a key par save from the bunker at the par-3 16th.

The 20-year-old Yin, who won this year in Los Angeles, had two birdies and an eagle in a bogeyless round. Lin, who finished third last week, had four birdies in search of her first win on tour. The 27-year-old lost in a playoff earlier this year in California.

They are looking to become the second Chinese player to win a major. Shanshan Feng won the LPGA Championship in 2012. That event became the Women’s PGA Championship in 2015.

The 20-year-old Zhang had bogeys on the second and fourth holes, but played steady after that and made three birdies the rest of way, settling for a birdie on the 18th after missing an 8-foot eagle attempt.

World No. 1 Jin Young Ko and Lilia Vu, the only two-time winners on the LPGA Tour this year, shot 72. No. 5 Minjee Lee also had a 72.

Defending champion In Gee Chun was 2 under at the front nine, but had five bogeys on the back nine and finished at 74. 

Second-ranked Nelly Korda and No. 9 Lexi Thompson each shot 76.

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AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Tom Canavan, The Associated Press