Lydia Ko has got off to an excellent start at the Tournament of Champions in Florida, finishing three-under in the opening round to end the day tied in sixth.
The Kiwi star sunk five birdies on the Lake Nona Golf Club course to put her right in the mix, trailing Japan's Ayaka Furue by four shots.
It could've been an even better day for Ko had it not been for a bogey on the penultimate hole and narrowly missing a chance for a birdie on the 18th.
While Ko has started 2024 well, fellow Kiwi Ryan Fox had a tough start to his year in Dubai.
Fox’s 3-over 75 left him tied for 96th after the opening round of the Dubai Desert Classic. Haotong Li, Rasmus Hojgaard, Cameron Young and Andy Sullivan share the lead with a 5-under 67.
Fox wasn't the only one to struggle, with Rory McIlroy also having a tough day after a strong start.
The No. 2-ranked McIlroy bogeyed three of his last four to shoot 1-under 71 and Brian Harman, the British Open champion who also started at the 10th hole, finished bogey-par-double to close on the same score.
McIlroy, a three-time winner of the tournament and coming off a second place at last week's Dubai Invitational behind Tommy Fleetwood, birdied five of his first 11 holes to be on the leaderboard at 4 under before he hit problems in the tough finish to the front nine.
At No. 6, he missed a par putt from inside 4 feet. At No. 7, he duffed his chip from just off the green and couldn’t save par from 30 feet.
He completed a hat trick of bogeys when he missed the eighth green from the middle of the fairway, was short again with his chip from the rough and missed a par putt from 10 feet.
Even No. 9, his final hole, involved some slight trauma for McIlroy. He drove into a bunker then left himself an up-and-down from 21 yards, which he just about made when his par putt squeezed into the right of the cup, prompting a sigh of relief from the four-time major champion.
Harman's round was damaged by his 6 on the par-4 9th that came after he hit his second shot out of the trees and into the water running down the left of the hole. The American had been on 4 under after 12 holes.
Harman is playing in his first European tour event not co-sanctioned with the PGA Tour, with his victory at the Open in Hoylake giving him more freedom on his schedule to play overseas.
- additional reporting Associated Press
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