Akie Iwai leads LPGA Tour’s Lotte Championship after 1 round

HONOLULU — Akie Iwai shot an 8-under 64 in calm morning conditions Wednesday at Hoakalei Country Club to take the first-round lead in the LPGA Tour’s Lotte Championship.

She played alongside twin sister Chisato.

“It was fun,” Akie said. “I’m looking forward to tomorrow, too.”

The 23-year-old Japanese sisters have each won this year as tour rookies. Chisato broke through at Mayakoba in Mexico in May, and Akie won the Portland Classic in August.

On Wednesday, Akie birdied three of the first four holes. Then, after making six birdies in a nine-hole span, she closed with a bogey on the par-3 ninth. Chisati opened with a 70.

Fellow Japanese player Nasa Hataoka was a stroke at back at 65 with Gabriela Ruffels of Australia and Peiyun Chien of Taiwan.

“We played at 7:30 this morning and the wind wasn’t up,” Ruffels said. “I feel like the defense of this golf course is the wind, so having an afternoon tee time tomorrow, I feel like it’s going to be a bit trickier and it might be tougher to shoot a lower number.”

Defending champion A Lim Kim of South Korea had the best round of the afternoon session, making four straight birdies on the back nine in a 66. Thai players Patty Tavatanakit and Pornanong Phatlum shot 66 in the morning.

Nelly Korda opened with a 69 in the afternoon, birdieing the first three holes, then offsetting two bogeys with two birdies the rest of the way.

“A little bit of an up-and-down round, but overall, happy to get it in at 3-under par,” Korda said. “Definitely have a long way to go to get in contention.”

Coming off a seven-victory season, she hasn’t won this year and has lost her No. 1 ranking to Jeeno Thitikul. The tour has had a different winner in all 24 of its official tournaments this year.

Charley Hull matched playing partner Korda with a 69. Hull won the Kroger Queen City Championship three weeks ago in Ohio after Thitikul four-putted the final hole.

Brooke Henderson, the 2018 and 2019 winner at Ko Olina, shot 70 in the afternoon.

After the event, the LPGA heads to Asia for tournaments five straight weeks in Shanghai, South Korea, Malaysia and Japan.

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