South Korea's Choi Hye-jin birdied her last two holes to secure a one-shot lead with a seven-under-par 64 at the LPGA Dana Open in Sylvania, Ohio, on Thursday. The 24-year-old, seeking her first LPGA tour victory, finished just ahead of India's Aditi Ashok and China's Lin Xiyu. Ashok recorded six birdies without a bogey to shoot a six-under 65, while Lin notched eight birdies and two bogeys.
Choi, who started her round on the 10th hole, did not make her first birdie until the 17th hole, sparking a run of four consecutive birdies. She added another birdie at the fifth hole and finished with birdies at the eighth and ninth to surpass early leaders Ashok and Lin. Choi attributed her success to a change in her putting technique after struggling during the pro-am on Wednesday, focusing on a softer stroke and improved tempo.
Lin, the highest-ranked player in the field at world number 15, made an impressive showing by holing out from bunkers twice during her round. The first instance was at the 15th hole, and the second at the first hole—her 10th—where her shot bounced short and rolled into the cup. Lin, using the tournament as preparation for her third Olympic appearance in Paris, considered these shots a bit lucky and an example of her strong play.
Playing alongside Lin was Ashok and defending champion Linn Grant of Sweden, who started her title defense with a 67. Meanwhile, Thailand's Chanettee Wannasaen and Natthakritta Vongtaveelap, along with South Africa's Paula Reto, all shared fourth place with scores of 66.
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