LA Open 2021 R1
April 21-24
Wilshire Country Club, Los Angeles, California
$1,500,000
Round 2, Round 3, Round 4

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

Jessica Korda carded eight birdies and a single bogey to take a one-stroke lead in the Hugel Air-Premia LA Open on Thursday and equalled the 7-under 64 record set in 2019 by Americans Megan Khang and Annie Park.

LA Open 2021 R1

“I was lucky enough that I was hitting the ball well last week (in Hawaii). I just wasn't making any putts, and so I was kind of just taking that mentality into this week. Like if I can maybe drop some putts I can have a good round,” said Korda. “But out here it's tough. This isn't an easy golf course at all. I was lucky to be able to position myself in the right spots off the tee and take advantage of the short putts that I did have for birdie.”

LA Open 2021 R1

2018 champion Moriya Jutanugarn was 4-over through five holes, but played her final 13 holes at 10-under, including six consecutive birdies. The comeback 6-under 65 puts the 26-year-old Thai sensation in a tie for second with Tiffany Chan.

“I will say it's pretty fun day today. It's kind of really like a roller coaster. I started with double par, bogey, something like that on the first six holes,” said Jutanugarn. “I started to make some putts and then I had a lot more chance today because I hit it a lot more like closer. When I start to make a little bit more putts, then it's kind of make me having a fun day.”

LA Open 2021 R1

Chan, a native of Hong Kong who spent two years in Los Angeles at the University of Southern California, carded seven birdies, including four straight on holes 5-8, and hit 15 of 18 greens. Chan still considers Wilshire to be her home course, despite living full time in Las Vegas, and said that she felt that inside knowledge played to her advantage.

“My goal was to try not to be too aggressive because it's my home course so I know the course really well,” said Chan. “So I still tried to be a little more conservative.”

Five players are tied for fourth at 5-under: Americans Dana Finkelstein, Nelly Korda and Austin Ernst; Australia's Su Oh; and Spain's Carlota Ciganda. Rolex Rankings No. 1 Jin Young Ko is tied for ninth at 4-under, while Minjee Lee, who is defending her 2019 LA Open title after the tournament was not conducted in 2020, opened with a 1-under 70 and is tied for 43rd.

LA Open 2021 R1