Hinako Shibuno, a player known as the Smiling Cinderella, liked a fairytale get started at the 2022 AIG Women’s British Open. The Japanese celebrity birdied the very first three holes en route to a 6-beneath 65 at historic Muirfield, wherever the best feminine specialists are competing for the to start with time.
Shibuno explained to media following the spherical that her intention for the 7 days was to be good friends with the wind. The 2019 Women’s Open champion won her major at Woburn, a parkland class in England, in her initially time competing outside the house of her native Japan. The future year Shibuno got her first taste of Scottish back links golfing in back-to-back again months.
“Two years ago, when we were being actively playing at the Royal Troon,” she explained, “the wind totally overtook my photographs. I was not pondering about how to use this to my benefit. However, this tournament I could adapt my style to the components. I imagined my swing, if the wind was coming from the appropriate, I could enjoy by come to feel how far from the pin I wanted to intention for.”
Shibuno, 23, retains a one particular-shot lead over American Jessica Korda, who has borrowed clothing all 7 days thanks to lost luggage. Korda, one of the very best gamers on tour without the need of a big title, completed a vocation-very best runner-up to Jennifer Kupcho earlier this year at the Chevron Championship.
Even Shibuno said she was a bit “frightened” by how very well she played in the opening round, give her the latest type. She has a few skipped cuts and a withdrawal in her past 4 commences on the LPGA. Shibuno credited Thursday’s fine efficiency to her caddie, who prompt a slight adjustment in her harmony on the greens.
Catriona Matthew, Louise Duncan and Sophia Schubert interact on the 18th environmentally friendly adhering to their round throughout Day One of the AIG Women’s Open at Muirfield on August 04, 2022 in Gullane, Scotland. (Photograph by Charlie Crowhurst/Getty Photographs)
Louise Duncan, the 22-12 months-outdated Scot who completed 10th very last calendar year at Carnoustie and created her expert debut last week at the Belief Golfing Scottish Open, carded a 67 to share 3rd with Mexico’s Gaby Lopez.
“Sounds odd but I breathed fairly properly right now,” explained Duncan, who has figured out new techniques from her caddie and coach Dean Robertson, a previous DP Earth Tour winner.
“Just consider to retain it peaceful. I get a little bit uptight. Because I want to maintain it so badly.”
Duncan teed off in the 1st team with fellow Scot Catriona Matthew, who hit the historic to start with tee shot at 6:30 a.m.
Muirfield has played hosted to 16 men’s British Opens, and a youthful Matthew picked up trash and labored as a walking scorer at a number of of the championships in the vicinity of her North Berwick home increasing up.
Regretably, double-bogeys on Nos. 1 and 10 kept the neighborhood legend from acquiring in the combine immediately after an opening 76.
“It was out there I think for the taking this early morning,” mentioned Matthew. “Even although it was wet for our to start with couple, the wind is absolutely significantly less than it’s been the very last two times.”
The top a few players in the entire world were grouped together and had blended final results: Jin Youthful Ko (76), Minjee Lee (68) and Nelly Korda (70).
Canada’s Brooke Henderson, winner of the recent Amundi Evian Championship, bogeyed the previous gap to shoot 70. Earlier in the week she known as Muirfield her favorite links course nevertheless.
“I was so soaked immediately after my warmup,” claimed Henderson, “but was actually happy when the sunlight arrived out and definitely built a distinction in the temperature, far too. Pretty windy and the scores are displaying that it is tough.”
