Wie opens with 66, takes 1-shot lead in Singapore

Despite being a seven-time major victor, Inbee Park said she surprised herself by winning so soon.

The world number one Lydia Ko also shot 72 in her last round to end up in joint ninth.

“I think it was a great day and obviously a big relief for me after the few months that I did get off from golf, fighting off the injury”. So I made up for it today.

Wie made her second bogey of the day on the 15th but picked up two more birdies to sign for a 66 and a new course record at the recently opened layout.

After Park took control running off a string of seven birdies over eight holes in the middle of the round, Jutanugarn kept applying pressure. Wie was four-under par through nine holes.

“On the front nine I hit it very well and I made some putts”, she said.

“Pretty much everything I looked at, it wanted to drop in”.

Park healed ligament damage in her left thumb and went four months without touching a club.

Nobody in today’s game is capable of demoralizing a field the way Park can with her putter.

How Wie must have wished for some of that magic.

New Zealander Ko knocked in three long birdie putts at the 16th, 17th and 18th on the new Tanjong course at Sentosa.

Six others, including No. 1-ranked Lydia Ko, who shot 68 Friday, trail Park by three strokes and are tied for seventh.

Canadian Brooke Henderson finished in a tie for fourth with South Korea’s Ha Na Jang and Michelle Wie – the American’s first top five finish on the LPGA Tour since 2014. I went to the Honda Classic and kind of stole him away for a little bit. “Sometimes you just four-putt and you’ve just got to carry on with your life”.

New Zealander Ko made an equally fast start as she also signed for a 67 but she is well aware that with the top six separated by just three shots, she can not afford any mistakes on Sunday. With the win, she moves up on the Race to the CME Globe ranking from 120th to fifth.

The 19-year-old golfer from Smiths Falls had a bogey-free round Sunday to sit at 6-under, and 14-under for the tournament. “I’m very proud of myself today”, she said. “Some of the pin positions today were gettable but my ball-striking wasn’t able to match that”. She deflates spirits in ways even power players with their intimidating length can not.

Park, 28, struggled with an injured left thumb previous year, and took some time off to rest the ailing digit as the LPGA Hall of Famer didn’t compete in an LPGA event from last June until last week’s Honda LPGA Thailand. It took just that one tournament for her to readjust to competitive golf.