ORLANDO, Fla. — Brooke Henderson enjoyed the first day of the new season on the LPGA Tour far more than he did during the tough and debilitating days of last season.
Henderson, whose awkward back has gotten stronger and can swing the club more freely since October, attacked Lake Nona on Thursday, posting six birdies at 5-under 67 and qualifying for the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament. I was one stroke behind. champion.
Henderson, who finished third at last year’s Race to the CME Globe, got off to a good start with birdies on three of the first eight holes. Inside her nine she added three more for one bogey and in this week’s winners-only field she put second highest-ranked player Nellie in her Corda lead by one shot. Did.
“It feels really good to get off to a good start. It’s always a great feeling,” said Henderson, who won two majors at the Evian Championship last season, including his second career major. I hope we can continue with the momentum and the birdies, we need to keep it low here to keep the conditions as good as they are now.”
A year ago, players wore wool hats and layers in unseasonably cool Florida weather. Thursday was a mild, sunny day, with temperatures rising into the 80s for him.
Even though most of the players returned from a short offseason, few were rusty. His LPGA winners in 2021 and his 2022 are his 29, with 17 breaking par.
Korda, who won the Gainbridge LPGA at Lake Nona in early 2021, nearly matched Henderson, marking five birdies against bogey on his opening 68.
She played alongside former MLB pitcher Derek Lowe. Derek Rowe is defending his champion in the mixed-field Celebrity Athletes division. There is an LPGA Professional division and a Celebrity division, each with its own prize pool. She and Lowe were paired together for three rounds at this event a year ago and she spent her day inspiring each other to keep making birdies.
“I’m rooting for her more,” Rowe said. “It’s so great for her to play with her. She hopes she wins.”
England’s Charlie Hull and first-time winners Gemma Dreiberg (Scotland) and Ashley Buhai (South Africa) opened in the 69s. Defending his champion Daniel Kang advanced to the leaderboard early on, but bogeyed at 12 and 13, and a 1-under 71 put him in ninth place.
Henderson’s 2022 campaign ended on a whim. She pulled out of her second start from the end of November and tied for seventh at her CME Group Tour her championship in Naples, Florida, where she lives. defeated. She then got the rest she needed and rehabilitated her back.
Henderson had a bag full of new clubs on Thursday (as did Korda) and swung aggressively. Her only flaw was that she bogeyed on the par-3 17th. She fanned a short 8-iron and failed up and down. She hit the drive into the fairway (only two of which she missed), hit her pitching wedge to her 15 feet, and turned her putt into her one last birdie.
What about your back? there is no pain.
“Today was good. I didn’t think anything of it,” she said. “Tonight[with treatment]I’m just trying to make sure I do the right thing tomorrow and hopefully do the same forward.
“It’s great to be aggressive and to be able to shoot again.”
Heading up the celebrity division was a familiar name to everyone. Annika Sorenstam, his 72-time LPGA champion, is a Lake Nona resident. Runner-up in 2022, Sorenstam has scored 39 points in the Modified Stableford scoring system. That puts him two points ahead of 2021 champion Mardy Fish.
Her husband and caddy, Mike McGee, told her when the round ended that it was the first round without a bogey in a long time.
“I didn’t think about it, but I’m very happy to play here without bogey,” said Sorenstam.
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