PORTHCAWL, Wales (Reuters) -England’s Lottie Woad endured a frustrating start to the AIG Women’s Open as Japan’s Eri Okayama and Rio Takeda topped the first-round leaderboard at a sunny Royal Porthcawl on Thursday.
An astonishing July, which culminated in Woad winning the Scottish Open in her first event as a professional, had made the 21-year-old favourite for the year’s final major.
But the former Florida State University player found the going tough on the south Wales coast as she ground out a level-par round of 72 thanks to a birdie at the last.
Okayama’s five-under 67 gave her the lead before she was joined by Takeda after she birdied the 18th.
Japanese players dominated the opening day with Miyu Yamashita at four-under ahead of a large group on three-under that included Chevron Championship winner Mao Saigo, Shiho Kuwaki and Chisato Iwai.
Reigning champion Lydia Ko of New Zealand and world number one Nelly Korda, like Woad, failed to take advantage of relatively calm conditions.
Ko finished on one over, while American Korda was two-under par.
World number 139 Okayama bogeyed her opening hole but birdied five of the next eight and was rock solid on the way back with another birdie at the 17th moving her ahead.
Takeda recovered from a double-bogey seven at the ninth with four birdies on the back nine, putting her joint first.
By far the largest galleries assembled just after lunchtime to watch Woad in a group alongside Ko and American Lilia Vu.
Despite it being her first major as a professional, Surrey-born Woad’s win at the Irish Open and then missing out by one stroke at the Evian Championship just before turning pro meant she arrived in Wales with sky-high expectations.
Woad was a cumulative 55-under-par for her last three tournaments and the crowd did not have to wait long for a glimpse of her quality as she rolled in a birdie at the first.
A bogey at the third and another at the fifth followed but she then had the crowd cheering as a long putt from the edge of the sixth green disappeared for another birdie.
Woad struggled to gain any momentum though and scrambled for a par-five at the ninth.
A bogey on the 11th put her one over for the round but she got back to level with a birdie three at the 14th after a majestic approach shot.
Another mistake at the par-three 15th cost her shot though before a birdie at the 18th made sure she finished the way she had started.
(Reporting by Martyn Herman, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
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