RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. — Ally McDonald made a 5-foot birdie putt on the final stroke of the first round Thursday to take the ANA Inspiration lead.
McDonald shot a 4-under 68 at Mission Hills, playing in the last group of the day off the first tee on the tree-lined course made more difficult with thick rough, tighter fairways and some lengthened holes.
She birdied all four par-5 holes, the last in fading light on the water-guarded 18th.
“On a major championship golf course you have to start out playing the par 5s really well,” McDonald said. “The par 4s play really tough, very long.”
Only 28 of the 112 players broke par in the first major championship of the year, with McDonald and the other afternoon starters facing gusting wind. She had a one-stroke lead over 2014 champion Lexi Thompson, Jin Young Ko, Hyo Joo Kim and Linnea Strom. Thompson, Ko and Kim played in calmer morning conditions, but with the thick rough wet from dew.
“I just drove the ball really well,” McDonald said. “Gave myself a lot of opportunities to make good approach shots into the green. … Sometimes you hit the ball above the hole and you have to take a two-putt.”
McDonald played at Mississippi State after becoming the only female player to win the state boys’ high school championship. She’s winless on the LPGA Tour has made only two previous starts in her third season on the tour, tying for 58th two weeks ago in Phoenix in the Founders Cup and missing the cut last week in Carlsbad.
“I think in this position that I’ve never been in, it’s so easy to get ahead of yourself,” McDonald said. “For me, I’m just going to take it easy. I know that on the very first day a great round is awesome, but there is so much more golf left to play.”
PGA: Si Woo Kim birdied five of his final eight holes for a 6-under 66 and the first-round lead at the Valero Texas Open in San Antonio.
Kim leads by a shot over Abraham Ancer, J.T. Poston, Brian Stuard and Jhonattan Vegas. He’s two ahead of a group that includes Rickie Fowler and Jordan Spieth at the PGA Tour’s last stop before the Masters.
Also at 4 under are Roberto Diaz, Morgan Hoffmann, Max Homa, Hank Lebioda, Danny Lee, Ryan Moore, Ted Potter Jr., Scott Stallings and Chris Stroud.
Sixteen players were tied at 3 under, including Matt Kuchar, J.B. Holmes, Rory Sabbatini and Graeme McDowell, who won last week at a PGA Tour event in the Dominican Republic.
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