ON THE LINKS

ON THE LINKS

Thursday’s pro golf news

ANA INSPIRATION

RANCHO MIRAGE, CALIF.

Azahara Munoz bogeyed the par-5 18th hole in breezy afternoon conditions Thursday at the ANA Inspiration to drop into a tie for the first-round lead with Ai Miyazato. Munoz and Miyazato shot 5-under 67 in the first major championship of the year. Miyazato played in the morning session before the wind picked up at Mission Hills. Munoz hit her second shot on 18 into the right fairway bunker and her third went through the green to the back fringe, leaving a downhill putt that she hit to 7 feet. Shiho Oyama, Catriona Matthew and Lee-Anne Pace were a stroke back. Lexi Thompson, the 2014 winner, was at 69 in a large group that included Ha Na Jang, In Gee Chun and Gerina Piller. Top-ranked Lydia Ko opened with a 70. Brooke Henderson had by far the most fans following her around for the first round. Henderson, 18, opened with a 1-over 73 and is six strokes behind leaders Azahara Munoz and Ai Miyazato. The former hockey goalie from Smiths Falls, Ontario, is making her second start at Mission Hills after tying for 26th in the major championship as an amateur in 2014. She bogeyed Nos. 6 and 7, and rebounded with birdies on Nos. 11 and 12 — with a boost from the fans. She bogeyed 13 and parred the final five holes, chipping in on the par-5 18th after her drive struck a palm tree and went into the water. Henderson won the Portland Classic last year to become the third-youngest champion in LPGA Tour history at 17 years, 11 months, 6 days. She was second in the Coates Golf Championship in Florida in early February and has had five straight top-10 finishes to jump to No. 7 in world.

SHELL HOUSTON OPEN

HOUSTON

Charley Hoffman birdied half the holes on the Golf Club of Houston course Thursday and had just a single bogey to shoot an 8-under-par 64 and take the first-round lead of the Shell Houston Open, putting himself in contention to claim the final spot in next week’s Masters. But the hard work lies ahead for Hoffman. The three-time PGA Tour winner from San Diego hasn’t held up well on the weekends this season after giving himself good opportunities to claim titles. Closing 75s in his last two stroke-play tournaments even knocked him out of likely top-10 finishes. Hoffman birdied the first four holes of his back nine — the course’s front nine — then added another birdie on No. 8 to break out of what had been a four-way tie for first place with Dustin Johnson, Roberto Castro and Scott Brown, who all shot 65s. Castro, playing consistently from start to finish, produced seven birdies and no bogies while missing only two fairways.

Associated Press