Katherine Perry and South Korea’s Jenny Shin each shot 6-under-par 66 on Thursday to share the clubhouse lead in the first round of the rain-delayed Meijer LPGA Classic in Grand Rapids, Mich.
The day’s action started late due to rain, then was suspended for the night at 9:22 p.m. EDT with several players having yet to tee off. The first round will conclude Friday morning.
Colombia’s Mariajo Uribe sits in third place, one shot back, after a round included a hole-in-one.
Sarah Burnham, Lizette Salas, Mina Harigae, Japan’s Nasa Hataoka and South Korea’s Jin Young Ko are tied for fourth after shooting 4-under 68.
Canada’s Brooke Henderson is also at 4 under, but she is only through six holes. She ended impressively before play was called for the night, acing the par-3 15th hole, the same hole Uribe aced earlier.
Seven players carded 3-under 69s, and two other players are at 3 under midway through their rounds. Defending champion So Yeon Ryu of South Korea was at even par through six holes when play was halted.
Perry has played only three previous LPGA events this year, missing the cut in one but earning her first career top-10 finish when she tied for ninth in the Pure Silk Championship last month.
“I’ve been just working really hard on my swing with my coach and just having the opportunity to be out here,” Perry said, according to Grand Rapids’ woodtv.com. “I’m here with this opportunity to play and I’m looking forward to taking advantage of it. … I have to go hit golf shots tomorrow just like I did today and see where it gets me.”
In 2018, she played in 10 events and missed the cut seven times.
On Thursday, Perry opened with three birdies on the first four holes, and she wound up with eight birdies and two bogeys.
Shin is seeking her second career LPGA title, having won the 2016 Volunteers of America Texas Shootout. She had separate stretches of three consecutive birdies and finished with seven birdies and a lone bogey.
Henderson holds the tournament’s scoring record, as she shot 21-under 263 in 2017.
–Field Level Media
