Nasa Hataoka and Chanettee Wannasaen shared the lead at the LPGA Thailand after a thrilling opening round on Thursday. The 27-year-old Japanese golfer, Nasa Hataoka, impressed with a 7-under 65 score, matching Thailand's Chanettee Wannasaen's performance. Hataoka, a familiar face in the LPGA circuit, has already tasted success, having finished as runner-up at the 2021 U.S. Women's Open and securing five individual LPGA wins, not to mention her two International Crown team victories. Her key to success? 'I think my tee shots and iron shots were pretty good today, and that's why I was able to create so many birdie chances,' she explained. The competition was fierce, with Gemma Dryburgh, Somi Lee, and Hye-Jin Choi all just one stroke behind, and the top-ranked Jeeno Thitikul and Lydia Ko not far behind in sixth place. Thitikul, who started playing in her home LPGA tournament in Thailand at just 14, expressed her awe at the rapid passage of time. 'I couldn't believe how fast time flies,' she said, reflecting on her journey from a young golfer to her current standing. However, there was a notable absence from the tournament: Nelly Korda, who won the LPGA's season-opening Tournament of Champions, is not in Thailand and will skip the next two tournament stops in Singapore and China, citing a strategic decision to skip the early Asia swing for the third consecutive year.
