Washington (AFP) – Gemma Dryburgh and Cassie Porter combined for five birdies in a four-under-par 66 on Thursday to take a one-stroke lead after the first round of the LPGA Dow Championship pairs event in Michigan. Scotland’s Dryburgh and Australian rookie Porter teed off on 10 at Midland Country Club and grabbed four birdies in their first nine holes. They answered their lone bogey of the day at the second with a birdie at the par-five third to finish the day one stroke clear atop a crowded leaderboard on which six duos shared second place on three-under 67.
The pair had picked up their first birdie of the day at the 12th, and their three birdies in a row at 14, 15 and 16 included a chip-in for Porter. “We just rolled really well together,” Porter said, Dryburgh adding that their games complemented each other well in the alternate-shot format used for the first and third rounds, with best-ball rounds to come on Friday and Sunday. “Tomorrow is about birdies and today was kind of more steady,” Dryburgh said. “Obviously we made a few birdies today, but we can make even more tomorrow.”
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Among the teams on 67, the Japanese duo of Saki Baba and Yuri Yoshida had reached five-under with five birdies in their first 14 holes but dropped back with two late bogeys. They were tied with China’s Liu Yan and Zhang Yahui, England’s Jodi Ewart Shadff and Taiwan’s Heather Lin, South Koreans Im Jin-hee and Lee So-mi, Americans Megan Khang and Lexi Thompson, and American Jennifer Kupcho and Ireland’s Leona Maguire.
Defending champions Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand and Yin Ruoning of China shook off an early bogey and nabbed three birdies in a two-under 68 that left them in a seven-way tie for eighth. “We did not wake up yet, it’s too early,” Jeeno said.
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