Thailand’s Patty Tavatanakit began her Hana Financial Group Championship campaign promisingly by carding a first-round four-under-par 68 to sit just one shot behind the leading Korean trio.
Patty, sponsored by the Hana Financial Group, registered seven birdies, offset by three bogeys at the Bear’s Best Cheongna Golf Club in Incheon as Park Hyun-kyung, Lee So-young, and Song Ga-eun set the early pace with their matching 67s.
Happy with her start, Patty aims to better her tied-42nd finish from her debut last year.
“It was pretty good. Everything went smoothly today,” remarked the 23-year-old, who gained prominence after her victory at the 2021 Chevron Championship, a major event.
“While I wouldn’t say it was my A-game, I scored well. My highlight was probably the 12th, where I executed a great bunker shot and secured a birdie. I’m focused on taking it one shot at a time, trusting that if I play well, everything will fall into place.”
Crowd favourites, Australia’s Minjee Lee and New Zealand’s Lydia Ko, were meanwhile, tied for 19th after signing for identical 71s.
World number seven Lee had a less eventful round, managing only two birdies, one of which was on the final hole, offset by a single bogey which left her just four shots off the lead.
“It was a challenging day. The birdies were hard to come by after the third hole, so it was heartening to finish with one,” expressed Lee, a two-time Major champion.
The 2021 runner-up Lee also appreciated the warm reception from the home crowd.
“Receiving support from Korean fans means a lot, especially since my parents are Korean. Seeing so many familiar faces outside the ropes is always special to me,” added Lee, who is also sponsored by the Hana Financial Group.
World number nine, Ko, experienced a tale of two nines – she birdied three times on the front nine but could not maintain that momentum in the latter half, managing just one more birdie against three dropped shots.
Still, she remains optimistic about her prospects.
“Overall, it was solid. It was a day that could have gone better or worse. I hope this sets a positive momentum for tomorrow,” said Ko, who secured a KLPGA Tour win in 2013.
“I plan to stick to the same game strategy, playing it smart. There are some pin positions that are challenging, where a par is a good outcome. But when opportunities arise, I aim to be aggressive.
“With the rain, I need to capitalize on the soft conditions and be more assertive with my approach shots.”
