Defending champion Jennifer Kupcho shot a 6-under 66 to tie for the first-round lead at the Meijer LPGA Classic on Thursday in Belmont, Mich.
Kupcho is tied with Ayaka Furue of Japan, Cheyenne Knight, Lindsey Weaver-Wright and Frida Kinhult of Sweden after one round. The group is one stroke ahead of Ally Ewing, Alison Lee, Emily Kristine Pedersen of Denmark and Amy Yang of South Korea.
Here comes the defending champion!@jenniferkupcho birdies her final hole and earns a share of the lead at @MeijerLPGA ?? pic.twitter.com/5N43dfkLNm
— LPGA (@LPGA) June 15, 2023
Kupcho, Knight and Kinhult had bogey-free days at Blythefield Country Club. Kupcho had three birdies on the front nine and three on the back, the latter three all coming at par-5 holes.
"I think (the course) kind of sets up really well for my game," Kupcho said. "Five par-5s, I like par-5s at all golf courses, so certainly helps."
Kupcho is making her first start since the Mizuho Americas Open two weeks ago, when she lost in a playoff to Rose Zhang in Zhang's LPGA debut.
The Meijer LPGA Classic was one of three wins for Kupcho last year, including a major (the Chevron Championship). She said she's shooting for some lofty objectives for herself.
"Today my par was 4 under actually for myself," Kupcho said. "Set low goals, I guess, and you achieve them."
Furue joined the 6-under group late in the day when she reached the par-5 18th green in two shots and two-putted for her seventh birdie.
"I obviously gained more momentum because I made a lot of birdie chances today, so yeah, that's why I've got confidence today," Furue said.
Knight – looking for her second LPGA win, as is Furue – started her round on the back nine before making four of her six birdies at Nos. 1-9. Knight has been in great form, with finishes of T6, ninth, ninth and T13 in her past four starts.
"Overall I kind of know how I pick apart a golf course and I have just been kind of just overall pretty consistent," Knight said. "I think I kind of saw it kind of middle of last year. Even though the results weren't there, I started just playing a lot better. Yeah, I think every week I've been up there in contention I've learned a lot from those and that's why I practice and why I play out here, is I want to be in the mix."
Kinhult and Weaver-Wright have yet to break through for their first LPGA victories.
World No 5 Minjee Lee of Australia and South African Ashleigh Buhai, last week's winner at the ShopRite LPGA Classic, were part of a massive tie for 10th at 4-under 68. Lexi Thompson and Canadian Brooke Henderson were among a group to shoot 3-under 69.