ST. ANDREWS, Scotland – Charley Hull and Nelly Korda are two of the quickest girls within the recreation. But within the opening spherical of the AIG Ladies’s British Open, they performed the Outdated Course alongside defending champion Lilia Vu in six hours and eight minutes.
On a blustery day in St. Andrews the par-3 eleventh, probably the most uncovered gap on the golf course, had as many as 4 teams ready to play. Andrea Lee waited 45 minutes to hit her tee shot, sitting on her bag for 15 of them.
Hull took a toilet break on the eleventh tee after which went over to have a chat along with her boyfriend and good pal James Northern, the mate she famously bought Paula Creamer’s autograph for after beating her in Sunday singles on the 2013 Solheim Cup.
“It took ages,” stated Hull. “I had a wager with my caddie. I stated, ‘I reckon it’ll take six and a half’; he stated, no manner, he stated, 5 hours (and) 30 (minutes). I used to be proper.”
Hull, who prefers parkland golf to hyperlinks, opened with a 5-under 67, almost holing her method on the par-4 18th for eagle, to take a one-shot lead over world No. 1 Korda and Ruoning Yin, who performed in more durable situations as one of many first teams out.
Six gamers – together with Vu and Lee – opened with a 69 to take a share of fourth. A complete of 17 gamers broke par, with the overwhelming majority coming within the afternoon.
The morning wave noticed winds constantly blow 30-35 mph, with gusts as much as 39 mph. The winds decreased some because the day wore on, however tempo of play was glacial as backing off the ball grew to become routine.
It didn’t assist that officers had been compelled to make use of a two-tee begin as a result of Paris Olympics transferring again the championship by two weeks. That meant one much less hour of daylight for the sphere of 156.
The final group to tee off No. 10 performed the primary 4 holes in two hours and 45 minutes.
Nelly Korda of america performs her shot from the eleventh tee throughout Day One of many AIG Ladies’s Open at St Andrews Outdated Course on August 22, 2024 in St Andrews, Scotland. (Photograph by Luke Walker/Getty Pictures)
When requested if rounds of greater than six hours had been acceptable at a significant championship, Korda stated “clearly not.”
“However with circumstances of the wind after which with it sort of intersecting between two holes, it’s sort of a given,” she stated “I feel all of us knew that sort of taking part in the golf course for the primary time on Monday.”
England’s Hull, who has but to win a significant championship, credited her longtime coach, Matt Belsham, for getting her ready for this week by engaged on three-quarter pictures, ball place and persistence. She additionally performed Turnberry along with her boyfriend on Monday and completed fifth on the Scottish Open final week.
For Hull, who was unofficially recognized with ADHD (consideration deficit hyperactivity dysfunction) final summer season, sluggish play has lengthy been an enemy. She conquered all of the hurdles in tremendous style on Thursday, delighting crowds alongside the best way as she vaped down the fairways of the venerable course, her trendy aviators on to dam out the wind.
Charley Hull walks onto the seventeenth inexperienced whereas she has a vape throughout day one of many 2024 AIG Ladies’s Open at St Andrews. Image date: Thursday August 22, 2024. (Photograph by Steve Welsh/PA Pictures by way of Getty Pictures)
“It was a great deal of enjoyable on the market right this moment,” stated Hull. “Really, earlier than my spherical I used to be in there watching it on the TV once I noticed the scores, and I believed, how is (Yin) 4-under par; that was an unbelievable rating. I’d take that now as a result of it was gusting so much on the vary, and I stated to my coach, seems like they might name it at any minute as a result of I don’t know the way the balls are staying on the greens.
“To go on the market, shoot 5-under, play fairly strong, it was plenty of enjoyable.”
This marks the third time an LPGA main has ever been contested over the Outdated Course, with Lorena Ochoa (2007) and Stacy Lewis (2013) profitable the primary two.
