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Thai trio lead CTBC Ladies Open

Xinhua, September 24, 2015 Adjust font size:

Thai players topped the leaderboard during first round play of the CTBC Ladies Open in Taipei on Thursday as Pavarisa Yoktuan, Budsabakorn Sukapan and Pannarat Thanapolboonyaras each carded seven-under 65 for a three-shot lead.

China's Yan Panpan and Chinese Taipei's Lu Ya-huei, Hsu Wei-ling, Cheng Ssu-chia and Doris Chen were equal fourth after rounds of 68 at Orient (Taipei) Golf and Country Club, a China LPGA Tour and LPGA of Taiwan Tour co-sponsored event.

South Korea's Suh Bo-mi was four shots off the pace after a 69, tied with Thailand's Titiya Plucksataporn, Prima Thammaraks and Punpaka Phuntumabamrung and Chinese Taipei's Kuo Ai-chen, Cheng Yiyu and amateur Yu Han-hsuan in equal ninth.

Rising star Budsbakorn, winner of the Srixon XXIO Ladies Open in May, put herself in contention for her second China LPGA Tour title of the year with a bogey-free round that included five birdies and an chip-in eagle three at the par-five first hole.

Starting on the back nine, the 18-year-old took came out firing with three consecutive birdies to get her round going.

"My driving wasn't good today, my approach shots and putting saved me," said Budsabakorn, who led the Thai women to the gold medal at last year's Asian Games, winning the silver medal in the individual category.

"After winning the Srixon in Qingdao, my driving wasn't right. I went back to Thailand to work on swing changes and it's something I'm still working on but it's getting better and better."

Pavarisa, a 21-year-old from Nakhon Si Thammarat, got her game going at Orient Taipei's fifth hole when she went on a run that included four birdies and an eagle-three at the 10th hole.

After a bogey five at the 11th, she rebounded for two more birdies on her way back to the clubhouse.

"Today I hit the driver really good. I only missed two fairways but it was just in the rough. I think the best thing today was my putter. I could make birdie and my irons were okay," said Pavarisa, winner of last year's Wuhan Challenge.

"Last week I stayed at my coach's house, so I got in a lot more practice. This week I feel more confidence, especially in my iron play. When you hit it feels good. So it's easier to make a putt. When you hit it closer you don't have to work hard on your putting."

Pannarat, a 17-year-old rookie pro, also carded a bogey-free round that included five birdies and an eagle-three at the first hole, her 10th hole.

"Today my driver was good. I was finding the fairway a lot with only one miss. My iron play was good, as was my putting. But I missed a lot of birdie chance. The last hole I missed a birdie chance, maybe I missed three or four on the day," said the native of Roi Et in north-east Thailand who was fourth at the Wuhan Challenge earlier this month.

"I'm not thinking of a win, it's only the first day. The final round is still a long way off. Today was better than I thought, so I'm just going to keep the same strategy for tomorrow."

Defending champion Pimpadsorn Sangkagaro was nine shots off the pace as the Thai struggled to a 74. Endi