Lydia Ko is showing no signs of an Olympic hangover early at the Women’s Scottish Open.
On a wet, windy and cold day in Ayrshire, Scotland, the 20-time LPGA Tour winner carded a solid three-under 69 in the first round on Thursday (Friday NZ Time), five days after winning the gold medal in Paris.
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Ko made two bogeys and five birdies, three of which came in her last four holes, at Dundonald Links to finish the day in a five-way tie for fifth, two strokes behind leader Minjee Lee of Australia.
She began the first round with a bogey on the par-four 10th hole and then threw a one-two punch of birdies on the 14th and 15th to get to one-under.
After a bogey on the 17th, Ko turned at even-par, not breaking through again until she birdied the par-three sixth to move back to one-under with three holes to play.
The 27-year-old then picked up another pair of back-to-back birdies on the par-four eighth and ninth holes to close out her opening 69, a score Ko was more than pleased with in the less-than-ideal weather conditions that berated the field.
“The first few holes are pretty tricky. I hit my first green on the fourth hole,” Ko said. “I knew there were some par-fives coming in, and hopefully, the weather was improving throughout the day that I didn't have too much catching up to do.
"I think that's the difficult thing about playing at the British or the Scottish. These kinds of courses, you could potentially be on the wrong side of the draw, as they say. So, it's trying to minimize the damage and still give yourself opportunities.”
Meanwhile, rookie professional Sam Jones is tied for 41st after the opening round of the DP World Tour's Czech Masters.
Jones carded a three-under 69, featuring five birdies and two bogeys, on Thursday (Friday NZT) at PGA National OAKS course in Prague, to remain five strokes behind the leader, South African Pieter Moolman.
Starting at the par-four 10th hole, Jones bogeyed his first hole, before five straight pars. He caught fire towards the end of the back-nine, with four birdies in a five-hole stretch to get to three-under.
Jones, who will tee off in the first group in the second round on Friday (5.30pm NZT), bogeyed the fourth, before his last birdie at the fifth.
At the PGA Tour Americas' Saskatchewan Open, the Hillier brothers, Charlie and Harry, have work to do after the first round.
Charlie Hillier posted a one-under 69, featuring five birdies, two bogeys and a double-bogey, at the Elk Ridge Resort on Thursday (Friday NZT), while Harry Hillier put together a two-over 72, with two birdies and four bogeys.
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