Ryu Sets Pace at Canadian Women's Open


So Yeon Ryu got off to a hot start in the Canadian Women's Open. The 24-year-old fired a 9-under 63 to take a one-stroke lead in the 72-hole, $2.25 million LPGA Tour event, which started Thursday at London Hunt and Country Club in Ontario.

After posting three birdies on the front nine, Ryu tacked on six more - including four in the first five holes - on the back for a one-stroke lead over fellow South Korean Na Yeon Choi. Ryu's 63 set a new tournament scoring mark.

Sweden's Anna Nordqvist opened with a 65 and is in third, while another stroke back are Spain's Azahara Munoz, American Danielle Kang and South Korea's Inbee Park.

Park, who won last week's LPGA Championship in New York for her fifth major title, had six birdies.

"It was a very good round today," said Park, who with her win last week supplanted two-time Canadian Women's Open champion Lydia Ko as the No. 2-ranked player in women's golf, trailing only American Stacy Lewis in the Rolex Rankings. "I didn't have any bogeys today, and also with the rain yesterday, the greens were a little bit softer, so I was able to play aggressive and go for the pins.

"I hit a lot of good shots out there," Park added. "I hit one really close on No.17 to about five or six feet and missed that one, and it was for charity, so I really wanted to make it. I missed probably about three five- or six footers, and except for that, I think it was a perfect round."

Kang, too, was pleased with her outing. "Today I teed off, just wanted to post a really good score," said the 21-year-old from San Francisco in search of her first pro win. "It was early in the day. "I felt great coming out. My game's been building week to week, and I knew the greens were really receptive from the rain and it's not firm.

"I just played really aggressive today," added Kang, the 2010 U.S. Amateur champion. "I just went at every pin. I knew the balls weren't going to play as much, so I just went with my gut and I saw a couple of the putts rolling. The greens are in amazing shape."

Trailing Ryu by four are Canada's Jennifer Kirby, American Cristie Kerr, England's Laura Davies, Germany's Caroline Masson, Australia's Lindsey Wright and Korean Mi Hyang Lee.

Lewis opened with a 71 and trails Ryu by eight heading into Friday's second round. Ko, who won Canada's national golf championship for women in 2012 and '13 as an amateur, shot a 70.

After turning pro in October, the 17-year-old Ko has racked up two victories for a total of four LPGA titles in her brief but meteoric career.

Other scores included a 70 by up-and-coming Canadian amateur Brooke Henderson, who lost in the 36-hole championship match to Texan Kristen Gillman at the U.S. Women's Amateur two weeks ago in New York.

For all the scores in the Canadian Women's Open, visit www.lpga.com.