Arpichaya Yubol, a 22-year-old Thai golfer, delivered a career-low 10-under 61, taking a two-shot lead over Jenny Shin after the first round of the ShopRite LPGA Classic.
Fresh off a fifth-place finish in last week’s U.S. Women’s Open, Yubol was in top form. She sank eight birdies and a chip-in eagle in calm morning conditions on the Bay Course at Seaview Resort. She almost achieved a 60 but narrowly missed a 10-foot birdie putt on her last hole, the par-5 ninth.
Yubol’s impressive 61 matches the tournament record set in 2018 by Sei Young Kim and Sakura Yokomine. Hannah Green is the only other player this year to card a 61, having done so in March at the par-72 Seville in Gilbert, Arizona.
Reflecting on her performance, Yubol stated, ‘I feel like I just start to play golf, like happy golf like every hole. Because I feel like my confident is coming back from last week in the U.S. Women. It was the greatest week in my life and then it’s make me more confident for this week.’
Competing in the afternoon with stronger winds, Jenny Shin delivered nine birdies and a bogey, finishing two strokes behind Yubol. ‘Well, the fact that every hole is birdie-able, compared to last week, just helped a lot,’ Shin mentioned.
Other notable performances included Narin An, who shot a bogey-free 64 and is three shots behind the leader. Brittany Lincicome, who won this event in 2011, had her best round of the year with a 65, thanks to a new putter. Brooke Henderson, the event’s 2021 champion, matched Lincicome’s 65, joined by Nasa Hataoka, Megan Khang, and 22-year-old amateur Rachel Kuehn.
Defending champion Ashleigh Buhai finished her round with a solid 67.
Yubol’s recent turnaround is noteworthy. After tying for 49th in her first event, she missed the cut in her next six tournaments. However, she found her groove again during the U.S. Women’s Open, shooting 68-69 in the final two rounds and earning her biggest payday of $465,375. Yubol credited a visit from her manager before the Open, who encouraged her to believe in herself and stop worrying about losing her playing privileges.
Arpichaya Yubol’s resurgence in form has been remarkable, and her career-best round at the ShopRite LPGA Classic has put her in the spotlight. With the tournament record matched and a newfound confidence, Yubol is a name to watch in the coming days.
Source: Espn
