Amid a difficult day of scoring in the first round of the Aramco Team Series, the World No. 12 finished strong to take a one-shot lead over Mariajo Uribe and Pranavi Urs going into the second day.
The 2014 Evian Championship winner holed out from 60 yards on the 8th hole before making a birdie on the 9th to finish 4-under for the day.
Playing in front of a home crowd, the 28-year-old was supported all day by a devoted fanbase as she plotted her way around the idyllic yet challenging course.
With the rest of the field struggling to post a good score — only fourteen players carded even par or better — Hyo-Joo Kim’s previous knowledge of the course proved valuable.
“I wish they had played the music a bit louder, but it was quite enjoyable!” said Kim “Also, it was the first time playing with four people in a match. I’m working on the things that I wanted to improve this year and I feel like it’s getting better and better.”
Team Gustavsson sits atop the leaderboard in the team event, taking a three-shot solo lead heading into the final day. Made up of Johanna Gustavsson, Laura Beveridge, Gemma Clews and amateur Jaeho Shin, the fourball posted an impressive 13-under par.
“I hit a lot of fairways,” said captain Gustavsson, who finished the day at one under. “I drove it very well, putted ok, but missed a few chances – so hopefully tomorrow there’s a chance to be even better.”
Rain is forecasted for day two which could prove beneficial for scoring, slowing down the lightning-quick greens to offer better control on the greens and more birdie opportunities.
