KRISTEL SATUMBAGA

Yuka Saso shot a bogey-free seven-under-par 64 to share the early lead with five others at the start of the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship at the Pinnacle Country Club in Rogers, Arkansas Friday, Sept. 23 (Saturday in Manila).

Saso played flawlessly at the front nine after firing five birdies and added two more from the 10^th and 18^th holes to gain a share of the lead along with Koreans Sei Young Kim and Jeongeun Lee, and Americans Megan Khang, Ryann O’Toole and Lauren Coughlin.

Kim exploded with six birdies in the first 10 holes then stumbled into a lone bogey on the 11^th, before picking up her game with two more birdies on the 14^th and 18^th.

Like Saso, Lee also went bogey-free by firing seven birdies including four at the back nine while Coughlin highlighted her round with an eagle on the 18^th apart from six birdies and a bogey.

O’Toole, for her part, exploded with six birdies from the second through seventh holes and finished with eight birdies against a lone bogey on the 11^th while Khang also registered with eight birdies and a bogey.

Vivan Hou and Lilia Vu trail by one shot with identical 65s, while Charley Hull, Sophia Schubert, Muni He, Georgia Hall, A Lim Kim and Jenny Shin posted similar 66s.