Golfer Kelly ends first round in joint 41st spot

TOKYO: Top national woman golfer Kelly Tan started her 2020 Tokyo Olympics campaign with a two-over 73 to be placed joint 41st with five others at the Kasumigaseki Country Club in Saitama here, today.

The 26-year-old started the day poorly, carding three bogeys in the first nine - 1st, 6th, 9th - holes, but managed to recover with birdies on the 11th, 14th and 15th.

However, a double bogey on the par-three 16th resulted in Kelly, the sole Malaysian in the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Tour, finishing with a two-over 73 to be in the bottom half of the leaderboard featuring 60 golfers.

"I was nervous on the first few holes, but I also know that when you're nervous and a little off, it can get to you and I just tried to keep calm, which I did on the back nine. I want to do well for my country and I think it's part of our lives. I love being nervous and love having that rush.

"I struggled a little bit off the tee but by just very little, like a couple of feet which makes a big difference here. Three more rounds, there's a lot of golf to play. It's a marathon and you have to finish strong. I think I can only improve from today," she was quoted as saying by the International Golf Federation.

Sweden's Madelene Sagstrom tops the standings after carding an impressive five-under 66 for a one-stroke lead over Aditi Ashok of India and American Nelly Korda, who are joint second.

Kelly finished 51st in her maiden Olympic campaign at the 2016 Rio edition.

-- BERNAMA