The inaugural playing of the Ford Championship presented by KCC is underway, and with it, plenty of drama. After 18 holes at Seville Country Club, it was Pajaree Anannarukarn with a late-day 9-under 63 that took the first-round lead. The bogey-free 63 ties Anannarukarn’s career-low 18-hole score, which she last recorded in the fourth round of the 2021 Honda LPGA Thailand. After three birdies on her front-nine holes – Nos. 11, 16 and the Aon Risk Reward Challenge Hole, 18 – her highlight of the day were five-straight birdies on Nos. 5-9. It’s the second time she’s done so in her career and first time since that final day in Thailand in 2021, where she also closed out that round with those five-consecutive sub-par holes.
“I think it was a good nine. Bogey-free, came out with 3-under par going into the back nine,” said Anannarukarn. “I played some really good shots today. Hit a lot of good driver off the tee and gave me a lot of benefit just going into the green with short irons. I was able to just hit some good long irons in as well, so that helped.”
It’s Anannarukarn’s second first-round lead of her Tour career, and first since the 2021 Amundi Evian Championship. But a shot back of her lead sits six players in a tie for second at -8: Epson Tour alum Isi Gabsa, Spain’s Carlota Ciganda and Azahara Munoz, major champion Lilia Vu and 2024 rookie Gabriela Ruffels.
Ruffels, who notched a career-best finish last week at the FIR HILLS SERI PAK Championship (T3), carded a new career-low 18-hole score on Thursday with her 64. Vu’s 64 is a new season-low, and best 18-hole score on Tour since a third-round 62 in her victory at the 2023 ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican. Munoz was the first to close with a 64 on Thursday after two bogeys, an eagle on the par-5 5th and eight birdies, including three-straight after the turn from Nos. 10-12. The 36-year-old, and one of 10 #LPGAMoms in the field this week in Gilbert, is comfortable in Arizona after participating in eight editions of the Cognizant Founders Cup at Wildfire Golf Club between 2011-2019, even finishing in a tie for second in 2014.
“I actually thought that when I finished up. Yeah, it's been a while. I've had a few 5-, 6-under, but not 8-under, which is really, really nice,” said Munoz, whose 64 is her lowest 18-hole score since The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge in 2023 (R1, R3). “Yeah, makes me happy to know that I can still do it.”
Celine Boutier, whose first of four victories in 2023 came nearby at the LPGA Drive On Championship at Superstition Mountain, is tied for seventh with fellow major champion Hyo Joo Kim. Two-time 2024 champion Nelly Korda, looking to be the first since Ariya Jutanugarn in 2016 to win three-consecutive times on Tour, leads a group of 11 players in a tie for ninth at -6.
“I took Monday off and then came out here really early on Tuesday and just kind of got off the golf course and got out of here by 11:00 and gave myself the afternoon off,” said Korda of her pre-tournament strategy following her win in Palos Verdes. “Then had an afternoon pro-am on Wednesday. Kept it pretty light at the beginning of the week knowing I needed rest and that was the most important.”
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