Lydia Ko

Paradise Island, Bahamas – Rookie professional Lydia Ko, who won the Canadian Women’s Open as a 16-year-old amateur last August, shot a 5-under-par 68 Thursday to share the first-round lead with Meena Lee at the season-opening Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic. Stacy Lewis, the top-ranked player in the field at No. 3, was among nine players tied a stroke back on the 6,644-yard, par-73 Ocean Club Golf Course layout 

A petite New Zealander who joined the LPGA Tour as the No. 4 ranked player, Ko birdied the 16th and 18th holes to climb into a share of the lead. Neither Ko nor Lee, a 2-time winner on the LPGA Tour since turning pro in 2005, suffered a 3-putt.

“I just tried to play my own game and be relaxed,” said Ko. “I got off to a shaky start and I needed to make a 4-footer for par, but when I made birdie at No. 2 I was able to relax. I was actually shocked that I wasn’t nervous. I felt I even played better than my score. I gave myself a lot of opportunities.”

 “When she gets some confidence in herself, the rest of this Tour better watch out,” said Lewis of Ko. “When I saw we were paired together, I was pretty happy. She is just a really likeable kid.” 

Play continues Friday with the second round of this event before a cut will be made to the low 70 players and ties. The final round is scheduled for Sunday, with live televised coverage from 3-5 p.m. by the Golf Channel.

Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic: Admission and Parking Free for Spectators