Jang defies bad back to grab LPGA lead

Jang Ha-Na shook off a sore back to seize a one-shot lead in the first round of the US LPGA's Marathon Classic, firing six birdies in a five-under par 66.

The South Korean was one stroke in front of Australian Sarah Kemp, South African Lee-Anne Pace, Taiwan's Hsu Wei-Ling and American Nannette Hill.

But she almost didn't make it to the first tee. Her back was so tight before the round that she opted not to hit any balls on the driving range to warm up.

"Today my back was really bad," said Jang, adding that she decided just to focus on keeping the ball in play.

"I'm thinking in the fairway and the greens," she said, "just fairways and greens."

The approach paid off, with a birdie at the par-four third and eight pars seeing her make the turn on the Highland Meadows Golf Club course at one-under.

Although she said she struggled to make those pars, the birdies began to drop on the back nine, where a birdie at the 10th was followed by three birdies in a row at the 12th, 13th and 14th.

After her lone bogey of the day at the par-four 15th, she closed her round with a birdie at the par-five 18th.

Kemp's bid for the first-round lead was undone by a bogey at her final hole, the par-four ninth.

She got off to a hot start with five birdies in her first 10 holes, including three in a row at 17, 18 and one, before her mis-step at the last dropped her into a share of second on 67.

"It was, yeah, disappointing finish with a bogey, but if someone said will you take four-under at the beginning of the day I would've said yes," Kemp said.

"I played really well my front nine, which was the back nine ... but, no, I'm happy. I'll take it."

A dozen players shared sixth place on three-under par 68, with another 12 on 69.

World number one Park In-Bee of South Korea had two birdies and a bogey to head another big group on 70, while defending champion Lydia Ko of New Zealand settled for an even par 71 that included one bogey and one birdie.
Source: AFP