PLAYA DEL CARMEN, Mexico (AP) — Melanie Green got the surprise of her life with a hole-in-one she didn't know she made Thursday. It carried her to a 6-under 66 and a share of the lead with Brianna Do after the opening round of the Riviera Maya Open at Mayakoba.
Nelly Korda showed no real sign of slowing her pace. Despite playing in the windier afternoon that made the fairways at El Camaleon look even tighter, she opened with a 68 just four days after capturing the first major of the year.
On her sixth hole of the day at the par-3 15th, Green hit a 7-iron that landed about 20 feet short of the hole and rolled into the cup. The announcers got excited because they could see it. Green, in her first year on the LPGA, did not.
“I was like, ‘OK, great shot. Phenomenal.’ Grab the putter — normally hit the green, grab the putter, it's a cool effect.' Then we're walking up and I'm looking at the green. There is no ball,” Green said.
She was momentarily embarrassed by having to hand her caddie the putter and take a wedge to chip. Her caddie repaired the pitch mark, glanced in the hole and saw her golf ball, which he knew by it being marked with a cross.
She thought he was joking.
“I walk up there and all I could see was the cross. I was so excited,” Green said. “Yeah, thought I just went way left. But whatever. Good bounce.”
And it was a great start. Along with her hole-in-one, Green had five birdies and went out in 30. She was slowed by a bogey on her final hole but had few complaints.
Do was first off in the afternoon, before the wind reached full strength, and opened with four birdies in five holes. She also dropped a shot at No. 9, then played the back nine bogey-free with a trio of birdies to join Green.
Do said it was windy in her U.S. Women's Open qualifier a few weeks ago and it prepared for the wind coming off the Gulf of Mexico.
“I think for some reason playing in the wind helps me kind of just play golf, instead of like playing a golf swing,” Do said.
Korda returned to No. 1 in the women's world ranking last week at The Chevron Championship, a performance so dominant she led over the final 57 holes and won by five.
She stuck to her commitment to Mayakoba, where she is the only player from the top 10 in the world. Korda also started on the back nine, and made the turn with a 7-iron that settled 15 feet right of the cup for an eagle.
She made only one bogey and was happy with a her start playing in the brunt of the wind. All her scoring came on the par 5s — three birdies and the eagle.
“The fairways are really tight,” Korda said. “When it gets gusty like this it is harder to hold them, so just hit solid drives.”
Carlota Ciganda played the par 5s in even par and still managed a 67. Korda was joined at 68 by a group of players that included Gaby Lopez and Erika Hara of Japan.
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