Photo by Jason Butler/Getty Images
Zhang fired off a solid round, but it wasn’t enough to keep pace with the Japanese players at the LPGA Toto Japan event.
Rose Zhang played really well in Round 1 of the TOTO Japan Classic in Ibaraki, Japan. She fired off a 4-under 68. Yet, that score only has her tied for 21st after 18 holes.
Zhang is coming off a T3 finish at the Maybank Championship. It appears as though she brought that momentum from Malaysia to Japan.
The LPGA rookie sank five birdies and logged just one bogey on her round Thursday. But she was far from the only to take advantage of the scoring conditions.
She made birdie in three of her last four holes on the front nine to make the turn at 33. Zhang’s fourth birdie came on the par-5 12th.
The Mizuho Americas Open champion lost a shot on the par-3 16th but got it back on the next hole as she birdied the par-5 17th to sign for a 68.
Conditions at the Taiheiyo Club Minori Course on Thursday were ideal for scoring. Many of the ladies went low as there were multiple 64s, 65s, 66s and 67s.
The Japanese women went low on Thursday as Akie Iwai carded a 9-under 63 to take the lead after Day 1.
Iwai is one of seven Japanese players inside the Top 10.
She made one bogey, eight birdies, and an eagle on the par-5 12th. After her slip-up on the fourth hole, she was lights out.
She came home in 30 strokes as she birdied the last three holes. Iwai’s 9-under score tied the tournament’s 18-hole scoring record.
“Not only the fairways and greens but also the rough are very beautiful this week. I like it very much, and it makes me feel like I could play well this week,” Iwai said after her round. “It is going to be a very tough birdie chasing game this week, but I want to build a new record.”
Nasa Hataoka shined in front of her home crowd as well. She made the most birdies on the day with nine. She sits tied for second after she carded an 8-under 64.
Hataoka sits alongside Tour rookie Yuna Nishimura, who tied her low round on the LPGA. Mone Inami, the silver medalist at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, is tied with them. Defending champion Gemma Dryburgh shot a 5-under 67, good enough for 10th.
If scoring conditions remain the same, there could be even more recording-breaking rounds at the TOTO Japan Classic.
Savannah Leigh Richardson is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. You can follow her on Twitter @SportsGirlSL and Instagram @savannah_leigh_sports for more golf coverage. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough too.
