On a beautiful day where scoring conditions were ideal, Ryann O’Toole and Angela Stanford share the lead at 7-under, 65, following the opening round of the TOTO JAPAN CLASSIC at Kintestsu Kashikojima Country Club.
“I struck the ball really well and I also putted very well,” O’Toole said. “The putts that I missed were the ones that I misread so I was rolling it really well. It was just one of those days where you point, aim and shoot.”
O’Toole had an eventful day with seven birdies, two bogeys and a hole-out eagle on the par-4 fourth.
“I had an eagle on 4, 108 yards with a gap wedge from the rough,” O’Toole explained. “I played for it to release and it went in so that was a really good eagle. I just felt like I played steady and that I could swing away with no problem.”
Stanford was able to ride a hot putter to her share of the lead.
“My putter was hot,” Stanford said. “I think I had 24 total putts and that’s pretty close to a career-low. I was reading the putts really well. I was seeing the line better than I have all year so I was very confident about the reads.”
While Stanford was a key part of the American victory at the Solheim Cup her 2015 season hasn’t played out as she would have liked and she is hoping to change that with a victory this weekend.
“I’m excited,” Stanford said of being in contention. “I haven’t been in this position much this year. It’s fun to go out and make birdies. I’m excited for the next two days.”
Chasing the duo down will be a group of five players - Ai Suzuki, Mi-Jeong Jeon, Ilhee Lee, Jenny Shin and Ha-Neul Kim - at 6-under as well as past LPGA winners Yani Tseng, Jiyai Shin, Stacy Lewis and Lexi Thompson who all sit two back at 5-under.
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