Ricoh Women's British Open championship report and scores

Ricoh Women's British Open leader Hyo-Joo Kim getting the putting line from her caddie at Turnberry. Picture by courtesy of the Ladies European Tour.

World No 4 Hyo-Joo Kim equals lowest first 

round of 65 to lead at benign Turnberry links 
NEWS RELEASE FROM LADIES EUROPEAN TOUR 
Buy BETHAN CUTLER, LET Media Manager 

South Korea’s Hyo-Joo Kim fired a seven under par 65 in fine conditions at the Trump Turnberry Resort on Thursday to grab a one stroke lead on her debut in the Ricoh Women’s British Open.

With five birdies and an eagle on the Ailsa Course, the world number four equalled the lowest first round in the championship, previously recorded by four players: Candie Kung at Turnberry in 2002, Karen Stupples at Sunningdale in 2004, Juli Inkster at Sunningdale in 2008 and Meena Lee at Carnoustie in 2011.

The highlight of Kim’s round was her eagle on the par-5 14^th where she hit her second shot to within 10 inches of the cup on the hole where Morgan Pressel recorded an albatross using a 5-wood from 197 yards earlier in the morning.

“The last couple weeks, I couldn't swing very well.  But today I kept it in the fairway very well, and the second shots, hit the greens,” said Kim, 20, who shot the lowest round in Major history, a 10 under 61, on route to winning her first Major at the 2014 Evian Championship. 
Kim turned pro in 2012 and has 13 wins in professional tournaments across the women’s tours, including two as an amateur.

New Zealand’s Lydia Ko and Cristie Kerr of the USA are tied on six under par, with South Koreans Kyu-Jung Baek and So Yeon Ryu a stroke further behind.

England’s Florentyna Parker, Norwegian Suzann Pettersen and Azahara Munoz from Spain are the leading Europeans on four under par 68, tied for sixth place with five other players.Parker, who is a member at last year’s Ricoh Women’s British Open venue Royal Birkdale, was delighted with her round, containing four birdies, an eagle and two bogeys.

She said: “It was brilliant.  After yesterday and on Monday I played a practice round and I thought, this is going to be so tough.  I was so intimidated by the course and I kept saying to my friend, if I shoot under 80 today, I'm going to be thrilled.  And then I was starting off, I was like, doing okay and kept it going.”

The two-time Ladies European Tour winner continued: “This is the first course I had never played as an amateur, as well.  I was warming up on the PlayStation a bit playing it a bit and that helped.

“We were lucky.  The front nine was quite windy or there was a little breeze and then like the last few holes, it was absolutely nothing.  I think we had a good draw and it's a tough course.  The bunkers, if you're in them, it's like a shot gone.”

Two time Major champion Pettersen, who finished second in last weekend’s Aberdeen Asset Management Ladies Scottish Open at nearby Dundonald Links, continued her solid play from the weekend.

The world number seven said: “I think on this course, if you can kind of get it through the 11th and then the wind is a little easier I think.  And the finishing holes are a little bit easy the way the wind kind of came in today. I managed to finish strong.  Hung in there on the front.  Had a good start.  Still, a couple of the par 5s, I didn't birdie, which kind of feels like you have to do under conditions like today.  I stayed patient.  My game is in good shape, so excited to go out again tomorrow.”

In a group tied for 14^th place on three under par 69 are Klara Spilkova from the Czech Republic, Denmark’s Nicole Broch Larsen, Beatriz Recari from Spain, Sweden’s Anna Nordqvist and current Ladies European Tour order of merit leader Gwladys Nocera from France.

 LUNA SOBRON LEADING THE AMATEUR SALVER CHASE AT TURNBERRY
Six non-professionals in the field of 144 are competing for the Smyth Salver and Silver Medal which goes to the leading amateur who completes 72 holes, writes Colin Farquharson

Spain's Luna Sobron, pictured, beaten by Georgia Hall's hole in one at the 18th hole of the final of the 2013 Ladies British open amateur championship at Machynys and ranked No 39 amateur in the world. is the clear leader of this competition within the championship at the end of the first round.
She shot a splendid two-under-par 70 - four ahead of the next amateur: American Kristen Gilman who recovered from a double bogey 6 at the eighth and another 6 at the 14th by birdieing the third, fourth, 13th, 17th and 18th to record a 74.
Gillman has a world amateur ranking of No 27.
Sweden's Linnea Strom, at No 6 the highest ranked of the amateurs in the championship was in the last group to finish at the end of a long day. She had a 75, coming home in 34 after 6s at the fifth and seventh in an outward 41.
She started back 3 2 3 - a hat-trick of birdies - but could not sustain it and had a 6 at the 17th.
Celine Boutier, the 11th ranked Parisienne who won the Ladies British open amateur title at Portstewart in June, would have been disappointed with her score, a 76 which included a double bogey 6 at the ninth to put her out in 36 after birdieing the third and seventh. She had another double bogey 6 at the 12th in an inward 40.
GB and I international Connie Jaffrey, a member of Troon Ladies, also had a 76 with halves of 40 and 36. Connie had a triple bogey 7 at the eighth.
Chiara Mertens (Germany), ranked No 533 in the amateur world, had an 82 which included the highest single-hole score of the day - a 10 at the par-4 fifth. Her outward 45 was also the biggest total for the first nine holes but she stuck to her task and birdied the 14th and 17th to salvage an 82.

FIRST ROUND SCOREBOARD:

par 72

65 - Hyo-Joo Kim (KOR)

66 - Cristie Kerr (USA) , Lydia Ko (NZL)

67 - Kyu-Jung Baek (SKOR) , So Yeon Ryu (SKOR)

68 - Florentyna Parker (ENG) , Jin Young Ko (SKOR) , Teresa Lu (TPE) , Katie Burnett (USA) , Shiho Ohyama (JPN) , Suzann Pettersen (NOR) , Mika Miyazato (JPN) , Azahara Munoz (ESP)

69 - Minjee Lee (AUS) , Nicole Broch Larsen (DEN) , Angela Stanford (USA) , Misuzu Narita (JPN) , Amy Yang (SKOR) , Inbee Park (SKOR) , Beatriz Recari (ESP) , Klara Spilkova (CZE) , Anna Nordqvist (SWE)

70 - Juli Inkster (USA) , Stacy Lewis (USA) , Camilla Lennarth (SWE) , Danielle Kang (USA) , Gerina Piller (USA) , Mi Hyang Lee (KOR) , Alison Walshe (USA) , Kelly Shon (USA) , Luna Sobron (ESP) , Nanna Koerstz Madsen (DNK) , Jung Min Lee (KOR) , Gwladys Nocera (FRA) , Mo Martin (USA) , Julieta Granada (PAR)

71 - Moriya Jutanugarn (THA) , Stacey Keating (AUS) , Lexi Thompson (USA) , Yumiko Yoshida (JPN) , Marianne Skarpnord (NOR) , Ha-Na Jang (KOR) , Shanshan Feng (CHN) , Sun Young Yoo (SKOR) , Amy Boulden (WAL) , Jenny Shin (SKOR) , Eun-Hee Ji (SKOR) , Jennifer Song (USA) , Catriona Matthew (SCO) , Kim Kaufman (USA) , Christina Kim (USA) , Paula Creamer (USA)

72 - Nina Holleder (GER) , Minea Blomqvist (FIN) , Ssu-Chia Cheng (TPE) , Ayaka Watanabe (JPN) , Sakura Yokomine (JPN) , Ai Miyazato (JPN) , Sophie Walker (ENG) , Jessica Korda (USA) , Candie Kung (TPE) , Ursula Wikstrom (FIN) , Rebecca Artis (AUS) , Charlotte Ellis (ENG) , Lizette Salas (USA) , Na Yeon Choi (SKOR) , Laura Davies (ENG) , Chella Choi (SKOR) , Tiffany Joh (USA) , Yani Tseng (TPE) , Jaye Marie Green (USA) , Alena Sharp (CAN) , Ashleigh Simon (RSA) , Mina Harigae (USA) , Felicity Johnson (ENG) , In Gee Chun (SKOR) , Xiyu Lin (CHN) , Jane Park (USA) , Carly Booth (SCO)

73 - Jenny Suh (USA) , Mi Jung Hur (SKOR) , Kelly Tan (MYS) , Maria Balikoeva (RUS) , Alison Lee (USA) , Charley Hull (ENG) , Natalie Gulbis (USA) , Emily Kristine Pedersen (DNK) , Caroline Hedwall (SWE) , Marina Alex (USA) , Melissa Reid (ENG) , Ritsuko Ryu (JPN) , Brooke Henderson (CAN)

74 - Morgan Pressel (USA) , Wei Ling Hsu (TWN) , Kristen Gillman (USA) , Mariajo Uribe (COL) , Hannah Burke (ENG) , Vikki Laing (SCO), Carlota Ciganda (ESP), Kylie Walker (SCO) , Georgia Hall (Eng) , Sandra Gal (GER) , Karine Icher (FRA) , Stephanie Meadow (NIR) , Hee Young Park (SKOR)

75 - Lucie Andre (FRA) , Brittany Lincicome (USA) , Pornanong Phatlum (THA) , Sydnee Michaels (USA) , Jade Schaeffer (FRA) , Austin Ernst (USA) , Sei Young Kim (KOR) , Haru Nomura (JPN) , Beth Allen (USA) , Lee-Anne Pace (RSA)

76 - Holly Clyburn (ENG) , Linnea Strom (SWE)  (am), Celine Boutier (FRA) (am), Connie Jaffrey (SCO) (am), Meena Lee (SKOR) , Brittany Lang (USA) , Dewi Claire Schreefel (NED) , Marion Ricordeau (FRA) , Pamela Pretswell (SCO) , Nicole Garcia (RSA) , Patcharajutar Kongkraphan (THA) , Michelle Wie (USA) , Il Hee Lee (SKOR)

77 - Pernilla Lindberg (SWE) , Su Oh (AUS) , Titiya Plucksataporn (THA)

78 - Isabelle Boineau (FRA) , Ariya Jutanugarn (THA) , Min Seo Kwak (SKOR) , Jacqui Concolino (USA)

79 - Sarah Kemp (AUS) , Caroline Masson (GER) , Rebecca Hudson (ENG) , Maria Mcbride (SWE) , Paula Reto (RSA)

80 - Anne-Lise Caudal (FRA) , Sally Watson (SCO) , Karrie Webb (AUS)

82 - Chiara Mertens (GER) (am)