Ryu and Liu Co-lead Chevron Championship in Suspended Opening Round
Ryu Hae-ran of South Korea and Liu Yan of China both shot bogey-free 7-under 65s to share the lead during the suspended first round of the Chevron Championship, while top-ranked Nelly Korda struggled to a 77 in her title defense on Thursday....
TroibNews 
Ryu Hae-ran of South Korea and Liu Yan of China both shot bogey-free 7-under 65s to share the lead during the suspended first round of the Chevron Championship, while top-ranked Nelly Korda struggled to a 77 in her title defense on Thursday.
The round was halted as a storm approached The Club at Carlton Woods, leaving 24 players unable to complete their rounds.
Korda secured her victory at this event last year, marking the pinnacle of her five consecutive Ladies Professional Golf Association Tour wins, and was looking to find that dominant form again in the major championship. However, she faced challenges with bogeys on four consecutive holes and finished 4-over par after just six holes.
Adding two more bogeys on the back nine, Korda found herself 12 shots behind the leaders, needing a strong performance in the second round to make the cut.
In contrast, Ryu and Liu encountered no such difficulties. Ryu birdied five of her first 10 holes, taking an early lead and securing her seventh birdie on her final hole. Liu found her rhythm on the back nine, recording four birdies in a five-hole span and matching Ryu with a closing birdie.
South Korea's Kim Hyo-joo was one shot behind the leaders heading to her last hole but took a bogey on the 18th, finishing with a 67.
Ryu, who has two career LPGA Tour victories, made a switch in putters midway through last week's tournament in Los Angeles and appreciated the way it felt, continuing with it in Texas. She expressed that she was feeling more comfortable on the greens, noting, "It's really good for me," and mentioned she often opened the face with her previous putter. She was pleased to make several tricky putts during her round.
Liu, aiming for her first LPGA Tour win, had been dissatisfied with her driver performance in Los Angeles but worked to address it: "This week, I fixed my driver, so it feels very solid," she commented.
In contrast to the leaders, Korda's performance has been inconsistent. Though she began her season with two top 10 finishes, she has not been as sharp as last year when she won seven events and earned the title of Rolex Player of the Year.
After completing her round, Korda told a small group of media that she intended to focus on practice. "I'm going to go and practice and see where it takes me," she remarked.
Mathilde Moreau contributed to this article for TROIB News
The round was halted as a storm approached The Club at Carlton Woods, leaving 24 players unable to complete their rounds.
Korda secured her victory at this event last year, marking the pinnacle of her five consecutive Ladies Professional Golf Association Tour wins, and was looking to find that dominant form again in the major championship. However, she faced challenges with bogeys on four consecutive holes and finished 4-over par after just six holes.
Adding two more bogeys on the back nine, Korda found herself 12 shots behind the leaders, needing a strong performance in the second round to make the cut.
In contrast, Ryu and Liu encountered no such difficulties. Ryu birdied five of her first 10 holes, taking an early lead and securing her seventh birdie on her final hole. Liu found her rhythm on the back nine, recording four birdies in a five-hole span and matching Ryu with a closing birdie.
South Korea's Kim Hyo-joo was one shot behind the leaders heading to her last hole but took a bogey on the 18th, finishing with a 67.
Ryu, who has two career LPGA Tour victories, made a switch in putters midway through last week's tournament in Los Angeles and appreciated the way it felt, continuing with it in Texas. She expressed that she was feeling more comfortable on the greens, noting, "It's really good for me," and mentioned she often opened the face with her previous putter. She was pleased to make several tricky putts during her round.
Liu, aiming for her first LPGA Tour win, had been dissatisfied with her driver performance in Los Angeles but worked to address it: "This week, I fixed my driver, so it feels very solid," she commented.
In contrast to the leaders, Korda's performance has been inconsistent. Though she began her season with two top 10 finishes, she has not been as sharp as last year when she won seven events and earned the title of Rolex Player of the Year.
After completing her round, Korda told a small group of media that she intended to focus on practice. "I'm going to go and practice and see where it takes me," she remarked.
Mathilde Moreau contributed to this article for TROIB News
