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Nanna Koerstz Madsen of Denmark and American Jennifer Kupcho each fired one by 65 sous to share the head after the first round Thursday of the LPGA Founders Cup.
Kupcho observed three of the last six holes while Madsen has two of his last three of his last three of his last three club in Florida.
“I was very satisfied with the round,” said Madsen. “I think my iron game was the best part. I made good putts here and there.
“I think the biggest key for me is to be mentally there, stay happy, don’t let the bad strokes get too head.”
Dane, 30, won her only LPGA title at the LPGA Thailand 2022 event, beating Lin Xiyu in China with an eagle on the second hole in the playoffs. Madsen also won the 2016 Tipsport Masters on the European Ladies Tower.
Kupcho, a 27 -year -old American, is looking for her fourth LPGA crown but her first since 2022, when she won a major in the Chevron championship, the Meijer LPGA Classic and the Great Lakes Bay Invitational Pap Event with Lizette Salas.
“It was quite solid,” said Kupcho about his first 18 holes.
“I hit the ball well enough. I think when I didn’t need to hit iron too, it worked, and when I needed to crush one, the ball went As far as he had to leave.
Madsen, a Nine Starter, destroyed five birdies in a row from the 16th hole. She sandwiched the Bogeys in the third and fifth holes around a Birdie and closed with birdies in par-3 seventh and par-5 eighth and a parent to the ninth by 3.
“There is a lot of space outside the tee and I needed it,” said Madsen. “It was in the entire really solid golf course.”
Kupcho sorted in the second but took his only Bogey in the third hole. She responded with stepriced at Par-5 Sixth and Par-3 ninth, then observed Par-3 11th, 13, Par-3 15th and Par-4 16th before closing with consecutive pars.
“My ball flights were all very good,” she said. “I changed my golf ball during the offseason, so just to see the consistency of the golf ball was really nice, especially in the wind.”
The Americans Angel Yin and Lauren Coughlin and Im Jin-Hee from South Korea were a return to 66.
Nelly Korda, the best, who won last year here on her native career, drew 68 to share 12th.
JS / MLM
