50th ANA Gets Surprise Leader — Patty Tavatanakit Opens with 66

Patty Tavatanakit formally introduced herself to major championship golf on Thursday at the 50th playing of the ANA Inspiration, the offspring of the Dinah Shore Classic.

Tavatanakit, who may be the longest driver of the golf ball on the LPGA Tour, hit all four par fives in two at Mission Hills on Thursday and found herself leading a major for the first time in her young career with a bogey-free 66.

There wasn’t much of a season to speak of in 2020, so one might still consider this the rookie year for the 21-year-old former UCLA golfer who now lives in Orlando and is tutored by former PGA Tour player Grant Waite.  She won three times on the Symetra Tour in 2019 so it’s not surprising to see her shoot a low number, especially with her length and skill-set.

It was a day made for scoring in Rancho Mirage.  Little to no wind and a perfectly manicured golf course greeted the elite field.

“It was a pretty calm and relaxing day today,” Tavatanakit said. “I just stuck to my game plan and didn’t get too greedy out there.  I was just being really patient, and I was waiting for putts to drop, and they did on the back nine.”

She finished off her day with a near-eagle on the 18th.  She crushed her drive and had just 175 in.  She hit a six-iron within 10 feet and narrowly missed making three.  “It’s pretty much a long par-four,” she said. “I just wanted to hit the green. I don’t care about anything else. It’s a pretty wide green and I had a six-iron, so it’s always nice to have a higher ball flight into that green. I was able to stop it just about pin high.”

Despite her first-day success, she was pretty diplomatic about having the lead in a major.  “Basically, it’s still my rookie year so there is a lot to learn,” she said after the round.  “Everyone is good out here, so you have to show a lot of respect to the other players, too. It’s not like, oh yeah, I dominate the course. I still have to execute. I still have to hit good shots. I still have to play smart. I can’t ever get ahead of myself out there because literally anyone could shoot low numbers and sneak up there really quickly.”

Good observation because there are a lot of big names right behind her.  World’s No. 1 Jin Young Ko shot 69, last week’s winner and world No. 2 Inbee Park was in with 70.  No. 3 Sei Young Kim shot 72, Nelly Korda 71.  Lexi Thompson has climbed back to sixth in the world rankings and has a great record at Mission Hills, including a win.  Lexi was in with 70.

Seems Michelle Wie (West) got more than her fair share of attention on opening day.  She scrambled her way to a first round 70 and looked worlds better than she did last week after missing the 36-hole cut at the Kia Classic.

There’s still a long way to go for Tavatanakit and the rest of the field.  And things will heat up, literally, over the next three days with temperatures in the Coachella Valley expected to climb into the 100s.

Maybe that’s good news for the 21-year-old leader.  Those bombs she hits off the tee will go even farther.

ANA Scoreboard:

Rose Zhang Heads For Augusta National With Share Of Lead at ANWA:

With 36-holes in the books, the best 30 at the Augusta National Women’s Amateur now head for the Holy Grail of golf and to no one’s surprise, Rose Zhang sits atop the scoreboard.

It was chilly and windy Thursday at Champions Retreat in Augusta and Zhang, the world’s top-ranked amateur, shot an even par 72 and is in at one-under par through 36 holes of the 54-hole event.  She had company at the top with LSU sophomore Ingrid Lindblad up there with her with rounds of 73-70.

They were the only two players able to break par over the first two rounds.  Auston Kim, a junior at Vanderbilt was a shot back with a pair of 72s and she was tied with Olivia Mehaffey from Northern Ireland, a senior at Arizona State.  Mehaffey had the day’s best round on Thursday, a three-under par 69 that got her back to even par after an opening 75.

But it is Zhang who carries the heavy expectations as the field has Friday to practice at Augusta National before Saturday’s finale.

Zhang, who turns 18 next month, brings a very low-key approach with her.  “I usually come into any event with no expectations,” she said, “and as long as I play my own game and satisfy my own criteria, I think that I would feel accomplished.  Overall, I think it’s a pretty solid day,” Zhang said. “Just a lot of small mistakes out there.”

Conditions were tough as players fought to make it to the top 30.  Maja Stark got the last spot, prevailing in a five-way playoff for the right to play at Augusta National.  The cut line came at seven-over par as temperatures dropped into the 50s and winds gusted up to 25 miles-per-hour.

ANWA Scoreboard: