Hannah Green is never far away from the winner's circle these days and the red-hot Australian is perched quite comfortably near the top of the leaderboard again - this time at the Americas Open.
The Western Australian is ready to pounce after firing a three-under-69 opening round at Mountain Ridge, where she is three behind surprise leader Andrea Lee.
In her last five starts this year, world No.5 Green has finished seventh at the LPGA Thailand, won the HSBC Women's World Championship, missed the Aramco Championship cut, won the LA Championship before coming seventh in the Chevron Championship.
Thursday's round had a similar ominous look about it until a bogey on her third-last hole pegged her back. Still, it was her only blemish after making birdies on the 14th, 16th, fifth and seventh.
American Lee has every reason to be nervous after looking over her shoulder, despite her fast finish.
One stroke behind is world No.2 Jeeno Thitikul and New Zealand's world No.9 Lydia Ko.
Lee surprised even herself when she walked off the 18th with four birdies in her last five holes for a six-under 66.
"I really didn't see six-under today to be honest, so I'm quite pleased by that," Lee said. "The game plan going into today was just staying really patient, trying to hit as many greens and fairways as possible, and just know that pars is good score and trying to minimise bogeys."
Only nine players broke 70 on a course that put a premium on keeping the ball in play and being on the right side of the hole on contoured, slick greens.
Missing this week is Nelly Korda, who won her last two tournaments, including a major at The Chevron Championship, to return to No.1 in the world.
The player she replaced - Thai Thitikul - took a big stride in the right direction after missing the cut at The Chevron.
Thitikul drove into the rough on the par-5 eighth but, with the ball sitting up, ripped it onto the green to 20 feet for eagle.
"Wasn't a good beginning, but ended up really nice," she said.
Thitikul closed out her round with a pitching wedge that cleared a mound and rolled out to two feet for birdie on the par-3 16th.
Ko got her mistake out of the way quickly, a bogey on the 11th hole with a pin tucked just over a false front on the right side. It was rough for everyone. Brooke Henderson had it in an ideal spot, over the false front and about 25 feet away pin-high, only to putt it off the green.
Ko responded beautifully, going birdie-eagle, and finishing her front nine with a pair of birdies. She was pleased with her putting another new putter this week - and felt she hadn't felt this good on the greens since she shot 60 in Phoenix earlier this year. That week also featured a new putter.
"There are some putts you're aiming so far out that hole is not even in your peripheral vision anymore," Ko said. "It reminds me a little bit of Lancaster Country Club where we played the US Women's Open a couple years ago."
Australian Robyn Choi mixed four birdies with three bogeys in her one-under 71 to be tied 20th.
One behind her are compatriots Cassie Porter, Grace Kim and Karis Davidson.
with AP
