Hwang, a one-time winner on the Asian Tour but not since 2008, marked his card with three birdies against a bogey to move atop the leaderboard with a two-day total of six-under-par 136 at the highly rated Woo Jeong Hills Country Club.

Jazz’s recent switch to a borrowed putter continues to pay dividends as the 23-year-old puts himself in the title mix once again after signing for a bogey-free round of 67, thanks to birdies on the fifth, eighth, 14th and 18th holes.

“It’s a very good round. To shoot a bogey-free round is always good, especially at Woo Jeong Hills. I made some good saves for pars coming in, missed some in the middle of the round but overall, I’m happy. I putted very well,” said Jazz.

“The pin positions are very hard and it’s tough to hit the greens. Even if you hit the green, it’s not easy to make putts. You need to miss on the right side of the greens. I think whoever has the best short game this week will win the tournament,” said the Thai No 2.

The 20-year-old Phachara, who opened his campaign with a 67, battled to a 70 to remain in contention for his breakthrough win at the KRW 1,200 million (approximately US$1,067,000) event, co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour and the Korea Golf Association (KGA).

“My game is feeling good right now but I don’t want to think too much. It was nice to win the GolfSixes Cascais with Thongchai Jaidee a few weeks ago. Although it’s a different format, I gained a lot of confidence from the win and I learnt a lot from Thongchai himself. Coming into this week, I just hope to get better and better. This is very different from GolfSixes. I just want to play my own game and stay focused out there,” said Phachara.

Kang, a 10-time winner on the Korean Tour, posted a 67 to surge into a share of second place with Jazz and Phachara at the prestigious event, which is part of The Open Qualifying Series for the third year in a row.

Overnight leader Junggon Hwang of Korea returned with a disappointing 75 to slip to ninth place on 140 alongside seven other players, which include Korean American Kevin Na (72), a three-time PGA TOUR winner, as well as K.T. Kim of Korea.

Defending champion Minchel Choi of Korea carded a 71 to tie in 40th place on 144 while Asian Tour Order of Merit leader Scott Hend of Australia uncharacteristically failed to advance into the next two rounds as he signed for a 76 for a 150 total.

The halfway cut was set at four-over-par 146 with a total of 72 professionals, who finished inside top-60 and ties, progressing into the weekend rounds alongside the top-three local amateurs Wonjun Lee (75), Youngjun Bae (76) and Donguen Kim (79).

Two spots to The 148th Open at Royal Portrush will be awarded to the leading two players (not otherwise exempt) finishing in the top-eight and ties.

The latest came in the wake of the retaken penalty for Argentina that knocked out Scotland on Wednesday. That followed similar controversy in Nigeria’s loss to France, another retaken penalty preventing the Super Falcons from securing qualification for the knockout phase.

– Law changes wreak havoc –

If the use of Video Assistant Referees at the 2018 World Cup in Russia was ultimately deemed a success, recent modifications to the laws of the game are causing problems.

Scotland and Nigeria were undone by a change to the law on penalty kicks, which means a goalkeeper must now have “at least part of one foot on… the goal line when the kick is taken”.

The VAR found that Scotland goalkeeper Lee Alexander, like Nigeria’s Chiamaka Nnadozie, had strayed fractionally in front of the line, and penalties either missed or saved were retaken and converted.

In contrast, encroachment into the box by attacking players has not been deemed worthy of a VAR intervention. Meanwhile, VAR is struggling to adapt to the new definition of handball.

“The use of VAR has become so ludicrous that, just maybe, there will be a backlash and its use restricted rather than expanded,” wrote British newspaper The Times.

VAR is being introduced in the Premier League next season but a spokesman explained to Britain’s Press Association that decisions on goalkeepers’ movements before penalties will be left to on-field officials.

Critics might suggest FIFA are using the women’s World Cup as a laboratory to see how VAR copes with the law changes, although the fact hardly any of the officials on the field had prior experience to working with video assistants has not helped.

– Star turns –

All of this has drawn attention away from the on-pitch successes, with the favourites — notably France, the USA, England and Germany — advancing to the last 16 untroubled.

In the absence of Norway’s Ballon d’Or winning star Ada Hegerberg, others have stepped up. Among them are Brazil’s Marta, who became the World Cup’s all-time leading scorer with 17 goals, and USA striker Alex Morgan, who grabbed five in her country’s 13-0 demolition of Thailand, the biggest ever victory at the tournament.

That game underlined the gulf that remains between the leading nations and the rest in the women’s game, even if Morgan is keen for the tournament to keep expanding.

“It’s great to see quality games and quality teams, and my hope is eventually we cap it at 32 teams,” she said.

Chile’s Christiane Endler carried a torch for the developing nations as her world-class display in her country’s 3-0 loss against the USA highlighted how women’s goalkeeping is improving.

“We don’t even have a professional league in Chile,” said Endler, who plays for Paris Saint-Germain.

“Without doubt, qualifying for the World Cup has been a big step forward for us, but it must just be the start. We need to open the doors to little girls in Chile.”

– Empty seats –

Fans are watching around the world.

Brazil’s 1-0 win over Italy drew in 46 percent of the daytime television audience in Rio de Janeiro. In Italy, 7.3 million tuned in.

The BBC reported 6.1 million watched England beat Scotland on television in the UK, another record. In France, almost 11 million viewers watched the hosts’ opening game against South Korea.

There is a fervour around the host nation’s games, which have attracted sell-out crowds. Often, though, attendances have been disappointing. Most matches have not sold out.

Meanwhile, fan zones in host cities have not attracted huge numbers, but despite all that organisers are happy as the business end of the World Cup begins.

“Before criticising some of the attendances we need to first of all be happy that so many people are turning up. Nobody believed we would do so well,” Erwan Le Prevost, head of the Local Organising Committee, told AFP.

The No. 114 player in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings, Green hit just six of 14 fairways, but overcame an erratic driver by requiring just 23 putts, including 11 one-putts. The 22-year-old Green is in search of her first LPGA victory this week in Minnesota. She played bogey-free golf by converting all nine of her scrambling situations. 

HYO JOO KIM CRUISED AT HAZELTINE

Hyo Joo Kim birdied three of Hazeltine’s four par-5s to post a 3-under 69 and is a shot behind Hannah Green. Although she missed the cut in the U.S. Women’s Open last month, Kim’s play was largely in tune with her performance this year. Kim has fashioned three top-10 finishes this year in seven starts, with her best finish being a T-5 in the HSBC Women’s World Championship in February.

Kim, who hit 12 of 14 fairways and scrambled well (5 of 6) in her opening round, has major championship pedigree, as she won the 2014 Evian Championship at the age of 19 in just her third LPGA event (she was a non-member at the time). Her best finish in the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship came in 2015 at Sahalee, when she finished in a tie for 9^th.

STRONG REID ON HAZELTINE

Mel Reid carded a first-round 3-under 69, her best round in a major championship since the third round of the 2017 AIG Women’s British Open (also a 69). A current position of T-2 is the best of her career following any round of a major. Her previous low post-round position in a major came following the first round of the 2017 Ricoh Women’s British Open (T-4).

Reid’s best major finish came in 2015 in the AIG Women’s British Open (T-9), while her lowest finish in a KPMG Women’s PGA Championship occurred last year at Kemper Lakes (T-60).

DEFENSE IS ON FOR THE DEFENDING CHAMP

2018 KPMG Women’s PGA Champion Sung Hyun Park is off to a strong start, posting a 2-under 70 and is tied for fourth. Park is seeking to become the sixth player to repeat as champion in the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.

ARIYA PULLS DRIVER … TWICE(!), THEN CLOSES STRONG

Ariya Jutanugarn was plodding along Thursday, one-over par, with four holes to play. To that point, she’d only hit 5 of 11 fairways. She was grappling with Hazeltine’s length to the point she twice called for her rarely used driver. The result was a bogey on the par-5 11th hole and a birdie on 15, also a par-5.

From there, Jutanugarn hit her final three fairways, got up and down out of the rough for par on the par-3 eighth hole (she began her round on No. 10) and added three birdies to her suddenly attractive scorecard. Jutanugarn’s 2-under 70 Thursday was her best opening round in relation to par in what are now five career starts in the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.

LYDIA’S LOVELY LIFT LIFTER

Thursday’s 71 was Lydia Ko’s best first round since late April, when she carded an opening 70 in the HUGEL-AIR PREMIA LA Open. Ko is searching for her third career major championship victory this week at Hazeltine, her first since winning the 2016 ANA Inspiration. Her best finish during her major championship drought, which reached 15 starts at the recently completed U.S. Women’s Open, came at the 2016 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, when she finished runner-up to Brooke Henderson following a one-hole playoff at Sahalee.

RYU IN THE MIX (AGAIN)

One year after finishing in a tie for second place in the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, So Yeon Ryu is tied for 10th after 18 holes. Ryu posted a 1-under 71, highlighted by birdies at Nos. 6 and 15. She bogeyed the par-4 12th.

Ryu, along with Nasa Hataoka (T-94), lost to Sung Hyun Park in a three-way playoff at Kemper Lakes in 2018. She owns two major championship titles (2017 U.S. Women’s Open and 2011 ANA Inspiration) and 18 top-10 finishes in majors. Ryu finished tied for runner-up in the most recent major, the 2019 U.S. Women’s Open. 

GLOBAL GAME

There are 31 countries represented in the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship: Australia, Belgium, Canada, China, Colombia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, England, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Hong Kong, Japan, Mexico, Northern Ireland, Netherlands, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, Philippines, Scotland, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand and the United States.

TWO WITHDRAW ON THURSDAY

Both Haru Nomura and Mi Jung Hur had to withdraw from the 2019 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship on Thursday due to back injuries. Both players completed nine holes before their withdrawals.

CHAMPIONSHIP TEST

Through 18 holes of play, only 16 players currently sit under par, marking the second fewest through the first round since 2015. Only Sahalee Country Club (nine) produced less under-par scores after one loop. Westchester Country Club (2015 – 60), Olympia Fields Country Club (2017 – 37) and Kemper Lakes Golf Club (2018 – 50) proved to provide more scoring opportunities early on.

26 FIRST IMPRESSIONS

Of the 156 players who teed it up in Thursday’s first round, 26 made their KPMG Women’s PGA Championship debut. The last player to win this Championship in an initial attempt was Yani Tseng, who emerged from a playoff to best Maria Hjorth in 2008 at Bulle Rock Golf Club in Havre de Grace, Maryland.

The Kingdom completed their  missions in the tournament with three straight defeats, 0-13 to the US, 1-5 to Sweden and 0-2 to Chile in their last group stage game.

After failing to move to the last 16, the 47-year-old Nuengrutai showed responsibility by announcing her resignation after five years.

“We were unable to improve our results from the last World Cup (Thailand were also knocked out from the group stage in Canada in 2015). We have to accept that the other teams in our group are better than we are,” said Nuengrutai.

Team manager and benefactor Nualphan said“The coach and I already agreed that we will end our roles. It’s been a pleasure for me after 12 years being part of the team. Thank you all the players for the hard work and for their support,” said Nualphan.

“But I still support several players who have been hired by my company,” added the  President and Chief Executive Officer of Muang Thai Insurance.

Reigning champion Kanyalak Preedasuttiji admits she was so nervos she could hardly breathe as she began her defence.

2018 champion Kaynalak and 2017’s inaugural winner Atthaya excelled in the highly humid conditions to be tied for third with four others, including two fellow Thais, Onkanok Soisuwan and 18-year-old Kultida Pramphun, plus Felicity Johnson of England and Beth Allen of the USA.

Sweden’s Lina Boqvist holds the first-round lead after a 67, one clear of Germany’s Olivia Cowan.

The 21-year-old Kanyalak admitted she had butterflies in her stomach as she strode to the first tee as reigning champion.

However, she quickly brushed aside them to fire three straight birdies – on her second, third and fourth holes – and then went to four-under at her ninth, before carding her one bogey on the next hole.

“I was unable to breathe at the start,” said Kanyalak, now a full member of the Ladies European Tour following her victory last year.

“But I tried to get a grip and focus on my game plan. My parents followed me all day to show their support, which really helped.”

Phoenix Gold is the home course of the Chon Buri-based Kanyalak and she had spent nearly two weeks practising on it in preparation.

“Three under at the start is not so bad as this course is not easy,” she said. “I will try to have fun out there and hope a Thai will win again this year.”

Atthaya, who set the record as the tour’s youngest ever winner at only 14 years 4 months and 19 days old when she lifted the trophy in 2017, had to skip last year’s tournament to prepare for the Asian Games but was happy with her solid return.

“I have good memories here and I didn’t feel any pressure at all. I’m still young and have so much more to improve,” said Atthaya, who said she had been affected after playing for four straight weeks.

“I moved a bit slow at the beginning as I was bit tired,” she said. “This year I’m just hoping to finish in the top 10 as I’m still adjusting to a new swing, which will take time.”

Fellow teenager Kultida Pramphun was not entirely satisfied despite joining her on 69.

“I’m a bit unhappy with my form but the good thing is I still managed to fight my way back from tough positions,” said Kultida, who won her first title, the SAT Thai LPGA event in Nakhon Nayok in April, straight after turning professional.

“I made a wrong decision with my iron in the last hole [where she carded a bogey], otherwise it would have been a better round.”

Lina Boqvist  carded seven birdies on her way tpo the first-round lead

Boqvist, 28, the sixth-ranked player on the LET, fired six birdies before stumbling with back-to-back bogeys on the 12th and 13th holes. Crucially, she recovered to card a seventh birdie on the par-three 14th to edge ahead of the field.

“It was a very good start as I was four-under after six and five-under after nine. I played quite solidly on the last nine but didn’t make as many putts,” said the winner of the 2014 Onsjo Ladies Open on the LET Access Series.

“The course is in great shape but you need to keep the ball on the fairways and greens as the rough is quite tough.”

The 27-year-old Hwang, who has recently shed off 10 kilograms, fired six birdies to lead by one shot over compatriot Daehyun Kim, who also returned with a bogey-free round at the KRW 1,200 million (approximately US$1,067,000) event.

Hwang, a three-time winner on the Japan Golf Tour and a two-time champion on the Korean Tour, is thrilled to get off to a strong start as he chases for a first victory on the Asian Tour and a coveted spot at The Open where he made his Major debut in 2011.

Young Thai Phachara Khongwatmai fired six birdies against two bogeys to sit in third place alongside Korea’s Innchoon Hwang and Qualifying School graduate Kyongjun Moon at the event co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour and Korea Golf Association (KGA).

Korean American Kevin Na, the highest-ranked player in the 144-man field this week, posted a 68 to share sixth place with local hopeful Dongkyu Jang while defending champion Minchel Choi battled to a 73 to tie in 58th place at the Woo Jeong Hills Country Club.

Asian Tour Order of Merit leader Scott Hend of Australia signed for a 74 in the event which is part of The Open Qualifying Series. Two spots will be awarded to the leading two players (not otherwise exempt) finishing in the top-eight and ties.

The five PGA of America Members are led by reigning Women’s PGA Stroke Play Champion Joanna Coe of Baltimore, Maryland; Dr. Alison Curdt of Reseda, California; Ashley Grier of Springfield, Pennsylvania; Brittany Kelly of Indianapolis, Indiana and Seul-Ki Park of Winchester, Massachusetts. Curdt is a dual PGA and LPGA member and vice president of the LPGA Teaching & Club Professionals division. She is competing in her sixth KPMG Women’s PGA Championship in the past eight years.

“It’s an honor each time to qualify,” said Curdt. “When I see the list of sites that the PGA and KPMG has selected for this Championship, I don’t want to be left out. It’s super important to play in this event. I look at it as a challenge. Each year the nerves get a little less.”

In her first six months in a leadership role with the LPGA Teaching & Club Professionals Division, Curdt says she is hoping to encourage more women professionals to wear more than one golf association “badge.”

“My big vision is that most players will become dual members of the PGA and LPGA, and we will not have this conversation in a few years,” said Curdt.

Last month, Coe, a PGA Assistant Professional at Baltimore Country Club, tied for 51^st in the PGA Professional Championship, while Grier, a PGA Assistant Professional at Overbrook Golf Club in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, finished T-71. It was the first time that two women completed 72 holes in the same national championship. They are each making a second straight appearance in the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.

Moments after completing the PGA Professional Championship, Coe said that she felt “totally relaxed.”

“I am not nervous at all here as I would playing against the best women players in the world at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.”

Fast forward to Wednesday afternoon and a practice round, Grier said that she agrees with her friend from Baltimore.

“I am far more comfortable playing against other club pros, who are the best in the country, but they’re still not full-time tour players,” said Grier. “And, I think the yardage distances are a big help. Here, we are playing a course that is the longest that I will play this year.

“I would rather tee it up against the guys all day long than against the LPGA players.”

Grier also has a different barrier to overcome this week. She is recovering from an automobile accident on Feb. 2, suffering neck and back injuries. She said that she is “90% recovered,” yet is now suffering from tendinitis in her left arm. She has undergone months of physical therapy to help deal with a new curvature of her neck.

“I still feel like I have a way to go physically, but I feel it has helped me mentally,” said Grier. “A couple times, if get down about my golf game, I just look at the photos of my accident. I’m lucky to be even playing golf. When I was pouting about things in a round, my boss has sent me a photo of my totaled car. He reminded me how lucky I am.”

Grier recalled beginning 5-over-par after her first 12 holes at Belfair in the PGA Professional Championship. “I said to myself, ‘OK, you got hit by a truck, and you’re here. You can do it.’ I repeated it to myself and finished the round 3-under. It put things in a total new perspective.”

This KPMG Women’s PGA Championship is the major debut for two PGA Assistant Professionals – Brittany Kelly of Woodland Park Country Club of Carmel, Indiana; and Seul-Ki Park of Winchester (Mass.) Country Club.

Stephanie Connelly Eiswerth of Fleming Island, Florida, captured the 2018 LPGA Teaching & Club Professionals National Championship. She is making her first KPMG Women’s PGA Championship appearance and it comes after competing in the 2015 U.S. Women’s Open.

Jimin Kang of Scottsdale, Arizona, recently earned her LPGA Teaching & Club Professional certification. She turned professional in 2002 and this week makes her 33^rd major championship appearance. She had competed in four of the five women major championships.

The other LPGA Teaching & Club Professionals in the group are Nicole Jeray of Berwyn, Illinois, an LPGA Teaching Professional at Mistwood Golf Club in Romeoville, Illinois; and Wendy Doolan of Lakeland, Florida. Doolan teaches at Grasslands Golf and Country Club and Sanlan Golf Course in Lakeland.

Jeray is competing in her 13^th major championship, and Doolan in her fourth KPMG Women’s Championship in the past six years.

The Kingdom’s squad, after losing the opener 19-25, put up a gutsy fight to beat two-time Olympic silver medallists 25-13 25-17 25-22 which marked their only second win against the Europeans from 16 meets.

The Danai Sriwacharamaytakul’s side have notched five wins out of 14 matches in five weeks while Russia suffered their 11^th defeat.

“We have not changed anything in tactics compared to our usual game. Today we defended very well against the Russian national team and attacked aggressively. I can not say anything about the psychological state of an opponent, but such games happen to everyone. Of course, we are very pleased with this victory, we need to continue to play in the same spirit,” said Thailand head coach Danai.

Russia coach Alexander Krasilnikov said: “We are not accustomed to this style of playing – to the Thai team, to the Asian style. Thailand after the first points coped with the reception and beat us through a positional game. We could not cope on the block and in defence too.

“In the VNL this is our problem – we start the match well, but then we start to have problems. Perhaps today we lost concentration.”

Thailand will face defending champions USA today at 6pm in their last match of the pool stage while Russia take on Netherlands.

Suwat Liptapanlop, advisory chairman of the organising committee, said four ITF events have been staged at the tennis complex over the past four years, giving local players the chance to compete and climb up the world rankings.

Sponsored by Cal-Comp Electronics Thailand and XYZ Printing, the series will include three US$15,000 Men’s Circuits, four US$15,000 Women’s Circuits and two US$25,000 Women’s Circuits.

“By organising home ITF tournaments, Thai players can pursue their career without having to travel aboard, which incurs high expenses,” said Suwat, the former deputy prime minister.

The nine-event ITF series will start with four US$15,000 Women’s Circuit events: week one from July 1-7, week two from July 8-14, week three from October 7-13 and week four from October 14-20.

The three Men’s Circuits consists of week one from August 19-25, week 2 from August 26-September 1 and week three from September 2-8.

The series will end with two US$25,000 women’s circuit events, from November 4-10 and November 11-17.

Feeling refreshed and recharged after a week’s break, Jazz is raring to get back into action at the prestigious KRW 1,200 million (approximately US$1,067,000) event, which is co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour and the Korea Golf Association (KGA).

Despite falling just short of qualifying for the U.S. Open last week, Jazz finds positives as he set sights on achieving other goals, which include breaking into the world’s top-50 to qualify for the World Golf Championships – FedEx St. Jude Invitational next month.

“I worked on my game a bit back home as well so hopefully the efforts will pay off. I am happy with the way I finished in Japan for the back-to-back top-fives. I didn’t start off well, but it got better and better and I ended up capping good results,” said Jazz who will be making his second appearance at the Kolon Korea Open Golf Championship this week. He came in tied-32nd last year.

“I need to play well these few weeks to give myself a chance though. I have the Kolon Korea Open this week and the next two weeks in Japan to try and break into top-50. The course is tough this week, so you need to come up with a good game plan,” he added

Placed second on the Asian Tour Order of Merit, the 23-year-old Jazz will also be looking for a fine showing to close the gap on Scott Hend of Australia, a 10-time winner on Tour who is also in the talented 144-man field vying for top honours this week.

Hend, who became the first Australian to be crowned the Asian Tour Order of Merit champion in 2016, is relishing his return to Woo Jeong Hills Country Club for the National Open of Korea where he last played in 2007.

Apart from the all-important Merit race, the 45-year-old Hend is also raring to qualify for The Open at Royal Portrush in July by securing a solid result at the Kolon Korea Open Golf Championship, which is part of The Open Qualifying Series.

Two spots will be awarded to the leading two players (not otherwise exempt) finishing in the top-eight and ties at the event, which is the second of the three Asian Tour events to be played in Korea this year.

Korean hotshot Sanghyun Park, who is set to make his second appearance at The Open next month, will put his course knowledge and past experiences to good use once again in his National Open, where he came in runner-up 12 months ago.

Other notable players include three-time PGA TOUR winner Kevin Na of the United States, defending champion Minchel Choi of Korea, Scott Vincent of Zimbabwe, as well as Thai duo Poom Saksansin and Prom Meesawat.