WASHINGTON: Ayako Uehara tied the tournament scoring record by carding a bogey-free nine-under 62 for a two shot lead after the opening round of the USLPGA Tour's NW Arkansas Championship on Friday.
Japan's Uehara matched the tournament record set by Jane Park and Angela Park eight years ago. She also established a personal best score by one stroke, beating the 63 she shot two years ago in Malaysia.
Uehara is hoping that 2016 will be a breakout year for her as she is playing some of the best golf of her career having made the cut in five of her last six tournaments. In her first seven starts of 2016 she made just one cut.
"Everything is coming together," Uehara said of her support team. "With the caddie and the trainer, everybody is like team work and that's my motivation now."
Uehara, who birdied seven of her final 10 holes, was two strokes ahead of Taiwan's Candie Kung (64) in the $2 million event at Pinnacle Country Club.
Uehara is ranked No. 215 in the world rankings and has never won on the LPGA Tour. Her best finish is a third place at the 2012 Japan Classic.
Kung opened with three straight birdies and added five more before her only bogey of the round at No. 6, her 15th hole of the day.
"I was having a lot of fun, and we had a good group of people that I like, and we all played very fast, so I think that helps, too," Kung said.
A sizeable group at six under included Angela Stanford, Vicky Hurst, Yan Jing, Alena Sharp, Yoo Sun-Young, Chella Choi, Min-Jee Lee, Carlota Ciganda, Ai Miyazato, Ryu So-Yeon, P.K. Kongkraphan and Morgan Pressel.
Top-ranked Lydia Ko posted a 66 and former world number one Stacy Lewis shot a 67.
Second-ranked Canadian Brooke Henderson is in the hunt after opening with a two-under 69.
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