Thitikul leads Women’s open as Ryu and Kuwaki chase

World number two Jeeno Thitikul leads the first round of the AIG Women’s Open by two shots after a spectacular seven-under-par 64 at Royal Lytham & St Anne’s.

The 23-year-old Thai, who has 11 top-10 finishes in majors but is yet to win one, went bogey-free in a fine start to her latest attempt. Thitikul sank seven birdies in a faultless round, including three straight birdies on the front nine and difficult par saves. “Winning one [major] doesn’t mean I am going to have a really good, successful career,” Thitikul said. “Winning one doesn’t mean much, I would rather be a consistent player, more than just winning one and then gone. Sometimes I had a hard time dealing with all the noise.”

South Korea’s Haeran Ryu, aiming to become only the fifth woman in history to claim three majors in a calendar year, is tied for second alongside Japan’s Shiho Kuwaki on five under. Ryu, 25, claimed her second major in the space of two weeks at the Evian Championship earlier this month. That form continued as four birdies on the front nine quickly took her to the top of the leaderboard. Despite a bogey on the 15th, Ryu finished with two birdies in the last three holes.

England’s Lottie Woad and Charley Hull are both on two under, while compatriot Alice Hewson led the tournament in the morning and finished one under. Hull, the most recent British female player to win a major, is back playing after giving birth five months ago and endured a tough opening round to end the day five over. “I missed quite a few putts today that I felt I should have holed, but I felt like I stayed in there pretty well considering how nervous I was, because I feel there was a lot of pressure on me out there,” she said.

Last year’s Open champion Miyu Yamashita shot one-over-par, while three-time major winner Lydia Ko is even par. World number one Nelly Korda, who started the year with two major titles and won the US Open in June, struggled in her quest for a career Grand Slam, finishing two over par. Korda got off to a slow start with bogeys on the second and third holes but recovered those shots to reach the back nine at even par before slipping back.