[Photo: Andrew Wevers/Getty Images]
Australia’s Karis Davidson has continued to build momentum in a career-best LPGA Tour season, firing an opening-round seven-under 65 to sit outright second after day one of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at Hazeltine National Golf Club.
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The 27-year-old from Queensland trails only South Korean Ina Yoon, whose brilliant nine-under 63 established a two-shot lead, while Davidson sits two shots clear of third after recording the lowest opening round of her LPGA Tour career.
Davidson has made the cut in all 10 of her LPGA Tour starts this season and arrived at Hazeltine on the back of a career-best major finish of tied 22nd at the US Women’s Open and a tied-12th result at last week’s Meijer LPGA Classic.
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Starting from the 10th tee, Davidson wasted little time asserting herself with a bogey-free opening nine featuring four birdies, including three in succession from the 15th through the 17th.
She carried that momentum onto her second nine, adding birdies at the second and third to reach six-under before her only blemish of the day came with a bogey at the par-4 sixth.
Any disappointment was short-lived as Davidson responded immediately, draining a 35-foot birdie putt at the seventh before capping a near-flawless round with another lengthy birdie at the ninth.
“Putting was pretty on today,” Davidson said.
“I really felt like I was going to hole everything, so it was a pretty perfect round.”
The opening 65 marked her lowest first-round score on the LPGA Tour since earning full status in 2022 and reflected the confidence she has built throughout the season.
“I’ve been working on myself,” she said.
“Mentally finding out what I enjoy off the course I think has really helped me on the course, because now I feel like I can enjoy it more.
“I just know there is more to life than just golf, so I think that’s given me a really good perspective.
“When I’m on the course I can just enjoy it. If it’s a bad day, it’s a bad day. If it’s a good day, really take it all in and really embrace it.
“It’s pretty special to be up top after day one, so I’m just going to embrace it.”
Just two weeks ago, Davidson was the final player added to the US Women’s Open field as first alternate before capitalising with a career-best finish in a major championship.
Now ranked world No.71, the Gold Coast product is chasing a maiden LPGA Tour victory and first major title.
Victory this week would make her the fifth Australian to win the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, joining Jan Stephenson, Karrie Webb, Hannah Green and defending champion Minjee Lee.
Lee is the next-best placed Australian after the first round, opening with a one-under 71 to sit in a tie for 26th.
The three-time major winner struggled to find rhythm, mixing two birdies and a bogey in her opening nine before parring her way home on the back.
Hannah Green was steady in her return to the venue where she won her maiden major title in 2019, opening with an even-par round to sit tied 45th alongside fellow Australian major champion Grace Kim and Robyn Choi.
Gabi Ruffels (73) and Cassie Porter (74) have some ground to make up to make the cut in the third women’s major of the season.
Round 1 Australasian scores
2nd Karis Davidson 65
T-27 Minjee Lee 71
T-45 Robyn Choi 72
T-45 Grace Kim 72
T-45 Hannah Green 72
T-70 Gabi Ruffels 73
T-98 Cassie Porter 74
T-127 Lydia Ko (NZ) 76
Round 2 tee-times (AEST)
10:00pm Karis Davidson
10:22pm Cassie Porter
10:22pm* Gabi Ruffels
11:06pm Minjee Lee
11:28pm Robyn Choi
4:31am* Lydia Ko (NZ)
4:42am Hannah Green
5:15am* Grace Kim
