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Lytham, England: Having wiped the sleep from her eyes, Yang Yun-seo produced an eye-catching opening round at the 50th AIG Women\u2019s Open.<\/p>\n
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\n July 30, 2026
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<\/p>\n Lytham, England: Having wiped the sleep from her eyes, Yang Yun-seo produced an eye-catching opening round at the 50th AIG Women\u2019s Open.<\/p>\n In order to prepare for her 7.36 am tee-time, the Korean had a 4 am alarm call. She arrived at Royal Lytham & St Annes at 5.10 am and wasted no time working through her usual pre-round routine.\u00a0<\/p>\n Wide awake, she proceeded to hit a sweetly-struck six-iron tee shot at the 165-yard par-three opening hole to within nine feet and holed the putt for a nerve-settling birdie-two.<\/p>\n That strong start set the tone for a solid round of one-under-par 70 that left her well-placed not only to make the half-way cut but also to challenge for the Smyth Salver, awarded to the low amateur.<\/p>\n \u201cAfter the practice rounds I didn\u2019t think that I\u2019d be able to play under par on this course, so I\u2019m happy,\u201d said the 18-year-old winner of the Women\u2019s Amateur Asia-Pacific (WAAP) in New Zealand in February.<\/p>\n By dint of that triumph, Yang earned starting places at three LPGA Majors. Having made the cut at both the Chevron Championship and the Amundi Evian Championship, she set out this week with the aim of completing a notable hat-trick.<\/p>\n Now that feat is looking a distinct possibility. At the time she finished her round, Yang was in a share of sixth place, four strokes off the blistering early pace being set by her compatriot Ryu Hae-ran, who is chasing a third successive Major victory. By the end of the day she was joint 15th, six shots behind Thai Jeeno Thitikul, winner of the inaugural WAAP. <\/p>\n Among the seven amateurs in the starting line-up, Yang ended the first-round in second spot, one stroke behind Spaniard Paula Martin Sampedro, the AIG Women’s Open low amateur last year who is currently second in the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR).<\/p>\n She is three shots in front of Colombian Maria Jose Marin, winner of this year\u2019s Augusta National Women\u2019s Amateur, four ahead of Women’s Amateur champion Valentine Delon of France and six clear of American Kiara Romero, number one in the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR).<\/p>\n In addition to her first-hole birdie, Yang, 15th in the WAGR, picked up shots at the eighth and 16th. Her only bogeys came at the par-five 11th and par-four 15th where her drive found a fairway bunker from where she had to chip out sideways. Her third shot caught a greenside bunker but she splashed out to two feet and made the putt for a bogey.<\/p>\n Pars at 17 and 18 ensured she finished in red figures, ahead of her playing partners with American Alison Lee carding a 72 and Korean Ina Yoon signing for a 74.<\/p>\n
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\n July 31, 2026 1:28 am | 7 minutes ago
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