Lottie Woad: English star one off early lead at LPGA Tour’s season-opening Match of Champions in Florida

England’s Lottie Woad sits only a shot off the lead after the opening spherical of the LPGA Tour’s season-opening Hilton Grand Holidays Match of Champions in Florida.

Woad blended six birdies with a lone bogey throughout an opening-round 67 at Lake Nona Golf and Nation, leaving her tied-second and a shot behind early pacesetter Nasa Hataoka.

The Englishwoman adopted three birdies in a four-hole stretch from the third by profiting from the par-five ninth, then added successive birdies from the thirteenth earlier than a remaining bogey dropped her again to 5 beneath.

Woad shares second spot with world No 1 Jeeno Thitikul, Chanettee Wannasaen and Sweden’s Linn Grant, as Hataoka grabbed the early lead after ending a six-under 66 with two birdies in her final 4 holes.

“Might have been higher; may have been worse,” Woad stated afterwards. “I must work on my driving a bit of bit. Simply missed a few fairways. The final gap, should not have missed it there. Apart from that, every thing was fairly stable.

“I really feel like I am fairly strategic and plot my method round. I need to hold it like that.”

Thitikul had six birdies and a bogey on Thursday to climb the leaderboard in a match open to LPGA Tour winners from the previous two seasons. Wannasaen had seven birdies throughout her spherical of 67, whereas Grant birdied her final two holes to additionally get into the group at 5 beneath.

Nelly Korda is 2 off the tempo after two bogeys in her final three holes dropped her again to 4 beneath with Amy Yang, Lydia Ko is among the many group of 5 gamers opening with a three-under 69 and England’s Charley Hull 5 again after a two-under 70.

Watch the second spherical of the Hilton Grand Holidays Match of Champions reside on Friday from 4.30pm on Sky Sports activities Combine. Get Sky Sports activities or stream with no contract.