MARTIN ENJOYS CALIFORNIA HOME GAME
Mo Martin walked out of the scoring area and went directly to the crowdline, where she spent nearly 10 minutes signing autographs for friends and strangers alike. The affable Martin, who grew up in the Los Angeles suburbs, had several friendly faces among the fans who celebrated her first-round 66.
“I love everything about this week,” said Martin, who grew up in Pasadena, but now makes her home in Florida. “It's pretty much home territory. I was born and raised in L.A., but just a chance for all my family and friends to be out.”
Martin returned a clean scorecard with six birdies to no bogeys on a picture-perfect Southern California Thursday morning. While the course received substantial rain in recent days, Martin feels that it just set up the golf course for perfect, yet challenging, playing conditions.
“Coming out here on Monday, it was like the grass is healthy and lush, which makes the fairways and the greens super nice,” said Martin. “It also lets the rough be a little bit thicker than we've seen it before. I like it. I love it when it's playing tough.”
Next on Martin’s to-do list? Tomorrow’s 1:06 p.m. tee time – and her beloved UCLA Bruins’ Sweet 16 match-up with the University of Kentucky in the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship.
“I’ll have to catch the end of it,” said Martin, who graduated from UCLA in 2005 with a degree in psychology. “But I’ll be with them in spirit.”
KERR EXCELS BY KEEPING IT SIMPLE
Golf is often a cerebral game – one that can cause a player to think too hard about the course in front of her. That wasn’t the case today for Cristie Kerr, who went back to the basics en route to her first-round 66.
“I had some long talks with my coach, and I just needed to simplify my game,” said Kerr, who won the 2015 Kia Classic and is hoping to become the first multiple winner in tournament history. “I needed to simplify my swing feel and not overcomplicate things. So kind of went back to some simple feels and played awesome today.”
Kerr got off to a frustrating start, when her 2-footer for par at the second hole made a full 360 around the hole and spun out. But a birdie at the ensuing third opened the floodgates, as Kerr converted six more birdies and walked off Aviara with confidence heading into Friday’s second round.
“I don't think I have to adjust much,” said Kerr. “It's only the first day. Just day by day.”
CHUN NEEDS TOUGH SAVE ON 18 TO SALVAGE 66
In Gee Chun was seemingly on fire on her inward nine, reeling off birdies at holes 12, 13, 15, 16 and 17 to pull into a tie for the lead. But the par-4 18th was almost her downfall. After nearly finding the water on her tee shot, Chun’s second from just inside the hazard line landed 60 feet from the hole. She put too much speed on her birdie attempt, sending it 15 feet past, but firmly knocked in the comebacker to keep her name atop the leader board.
“This course is really good,” said Chun, who tied for 50th at the 2015 Kia Classic, her only other appearance in the tournament. “I like (it) here. Course is really pretty and challenging, so I'm very happy to be back here.”
QUICK HITS
- Azahara Munoz made her first career hole-in-one in competition today on No. 3, knocking it in with an 8-iron from 128 yards.
- Moriya Jutanugarn also made a hole-in-one, hers coming with a 6-iron from 162 yards on No. 11.
- Mo Martin’s one LPGA Tour victory came at the 2014 Ricoh Women’s British Open Championship, where she made an eagle on the 72nd hole to win by one stroke.
- Mo Martin has led the LPGA Tour in driving accuracy for the last three seasons (2014, 2015, 2016), averaging 87%. On Thursday, she hit 13 of 14 fairways, and all 18 greens in regulation.
- Cristie Kerr has 18 career LPGA Tour victories, most recently at the 2015 CME Group Tour Championship.
- In Gee Chun has two career LPGA Tour victories, with both coming at major tournaments. She won the 2015 U.S. Women’s Open, and followed it up the next year with a victory at the 2016 Evian Championship.
- Charley Hull withdrew prior to her round, citing a wrist injury. Ashleigh Buhai, the first alternate, was added to the field roughly one hour ahead of her 12:55 p.m. tee time and finished at 1-over 73.
QUOTABLE
“My caddie was actually telling me that I should keep it. I'm like, No, I'll give it away to a little girl. You never know. She could be out here with us in a few years.” Azahara Munoz, on giving away the ball she used to make her first hole-in-one in competition
“No matter if you're hitting it good or not, if you can putt and you can make up and down when you're missing the greens, that makes a huge difference. So I think I'll definitely be seen on the putting green quite a bit this afternoon.” Lydia Ko, on her short-game struggles during her first-round 74 (+2)
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