Australia’s Katherine Hull has a two-shot leadover South Korean Amy Yang. Chae Young Yoon is another shot back. Eight golfers are four shots back including  this year’s British Open champ Ji-Yai Shin, former major winners Jeong Jang and Karen Stupples, plus Mi Hyun ‘Peanut’ Kim, Candie Kung, and Korean-American Christina Kim.

Defending Champion Suzann Pettersen shot a first round 77 and is eleven shots off the pace.

Hull has been playing incredible golf since August. She won the Canadian Open then and followed it with two fourths, a seventh, and two top 20′s in the six events she played in.  Amy Yang has won twice on the LET(Ladies European Tour) in 2008.

Quite a bit is at stake for those at the top of the leaderboard. C. Kim, Kung, and Peanut are all trying to qualify for the ADT Championship. Amy Yang is trying to get full LPGA privileges for 2009. She is non-exempt as of this moment. Yoon would get a tour card also if she were to win this weekend.

The AP reporter must not know much about golf. He doesn’t even make note of Shin, Jang, or Stupples shooting 70. All are former major Champions, Shin as recent as just under three months ago. Plus Shin is only the #8 player in the world.        

Also commenting on the first round of play- Hound Dog and The Constructivist

Ron Sirak at Golf World asks if the Asia swing is a good thing for the LPGA. Commissioner Bivens is essentially following the money, the tour’s biggest sources of revenue are Japan and South Korea broadcast deals.  There are tournaments right now in Japan, China, South Korea, Thailand, and Singapore. India and Abu Dahbi are only a matter of time. I suspect a Australian event or two could be co-opted also.

I don’t have a problem with the LPGA’s Asia swing. Women’s golf is a niche sport in the USA. It won’t ever have the following here that it has in some parts of Asia.  The tour has to go where it prospers.