American golfer Lauren Coughlin took the lead after the first round of the LPGA Canadian Women's Open, finishing with a four-under-par 68 at Earl Grey Golf Club in Calgary. Despite challenging windy conditions, Coughlin's performance was highlighted by five birdies in nine holes, allowing her to edge out the competition with a one-stroke advantage.
Coughlin, who is still in search of her first LPGA victory, has demonstrated impressive form this year, including a third-place finish at the Chevron Championship and a fourth-place showing at the Evian Championship. Her strong play continued as she managed to stay consistent through a tough day on the course. She noted that her game has been solid since Evian, and she felt good about maintaining that level even in less favorable conditions.
Ariya Jutanugarn, who previously won the event in Calgary in 2016, shared second place with Australians Hannah Green and Minjee Lee, as well as American Jennifer Kupcho, all of whom finished with a score of 69. Jutanugarn's round included three consecutive birdies starting at the 14th hole, but she also had a pair of back-to-back bogeys that tempered her score.
Green had a mixed round, with birdies at the fifth, sixth, and 14th holes, but also a bogey at the 16th. She managed to recover with a birdie at the 17th hole to join the group in second place. Green commented on the challenging wind conditions, noting that the tough play made finishing under par a significant accomplishment. Sharing sixth place with a score of 70 were Lydia Ko from New Zealand, Americans Gigi Stoll and Alison Lee, and South Koreans Ryu Hae-ran, Jenny Shin, and Choi Hye-jin.
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