02 April 2021: Thailand’s Patty Tavatanakit heads a star-studded leader board on the opening day of the 2021 ANA Inspiration after a stunning bogey free six under par 66. Aditi Ashok shot 73 in the opening round, with the help of a lone birdie. She is in T70 with some work to do in the second round to secure the weekend.
Tavatanakit turned pro shortly after finishing 26th in the 2019 ANA Inspiration, winning three times on the Symetra Tour that year. Showing a patience that belied her 21 years when asked when she was going to win on the LPGA Tour she commented, “It’s just basically still my rookie year, so there is a lot to learn. Everyone is good out here, so you have to show a lot of respect to the players, too. I still have to hit good shots. I still have to play smart. Can never get ahead of myself out there, because literally anyone could shoot low numbers and sneak up there really quickly.”
A beneficiary of two ANA Inspiration amateur invites before turning professional, Tavantanakit explained, “Well, this is my fourth time here. It helped playing the course at a really young age, seeing it differently. I feel like I’m hitting it the furthest I’m hitting. I can never reach the green on 9 for the three times I played here and I was able to do it today. I was telling my caddie, Man, I’ve got a little bit of a different game here. I’m hitting it a little further, and if anything a little straighter. My course strategy was better just because I know the course a little better, too.”
One of the greatest characters on the LPGA, Shanshan Feng returned to the LPGA for the first time this week since November 2019. Without a hint of rust, she fired an opening 67 and sharing second place with Ireland’s Leona McGuire. A blemish free round saw China’s Olympic bronze medallist smiling even more broadly than normal, enthusing “I would say that I’m mentally very fresh because this is my first tournament in, I don’t know, 13, 14 months I guess. So I am mentally very fresh and I feel like my body is maybe back to like 25. Not quite 18, but back to maybe like 25, so able to get through the 18. I’m feeling good, yeah.”
Ireland’s Leona McGuire, who finished top 20 at last year’s September event after an impressive final two rounds of 68 and 69, continued where she left off matching Feng’s 67 is tied in second place. Another player who credits their past amateur experience at the ANA Inspiration, she said, “I came here for the first time as an amateur when I was still in college, and it’s just a fun place to be. Great golf course. It’s a really good test. You got to drive the ball well. Hit your irons in the right places. And then there is lots of slopes and subtleties to the greens. They’re rolling really well, so you have to stroke it on a good line. I’ve been playing well the last few weeks. Got off to a really nice start this season, and trying to build on that momentum. It’s nice to come back to a course that I’ve been to before and I did well on last year.
Another player returning to the Tour after a long break was new mom, Michelle Wie, playing her second event in almost two years who impressed with a 2 under 70 in only her second week back playing.
