Through the first five tournaments this season, the lowest round on the LPGA Tour belonged to Lee So-mi at 61. Iwai Chisato of Japan had carded a 62, while four players — Kim Hyo-joo, Lee Mi-hyang, Nanna Koerstz Madsen of Denmark and Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand — shared the 63 mark. Among those whose season-low stood at 64 were Lydia Ko of New Zealand and Nelly Korda of the United States.
But after the first round of the Ford Championship, the sixth LPGA event of the season, those season-low rankings were shaken up. Scores in the low 60s poured in Thursday at the Whirlwind Golf Club's Cattail Course (par 72) in Phoenix, Arizona.
Lydia Ko grabbed the solo lead at 12-under-par 60, Kim Hyo-joo claimed sole second place at 11-under 61, and Korda set a new personal season-low with a 9-under 63 for sole third. Two players — Zhang Weiwei of China and Frida Kinhult of Sweden — posted 8-under 64s.
It was the first time since the 2003 Kellogg-Keebler Classic — 23 years ago — that two players finished with double-digit under-par scores in a single round.
