Johnson Tied With Ritzman for LPGA Lead
Despite gusty winds and scattered showers, Arizona golfers Alice Ritzman and Chris Johnson shot four-under-par 68s to take the lead in Thursday’s first round round of the $300,000 LPGA Tsumura Hawaiian Ladies Open.
Ritzman, of Phoenix, had two-under-par 34s on both nines of the 6,220-yard Turtle Bay Hilton course.
Johnson, of Tucson, had a roller-coaster day, with eight birdies and four bogeys.
After the first nine holes, Johnson was at 35 and not even on the leader board. On the back nine, she steadily hit birdies and had a 33.
Cindy Rarick and Dawn Coe were at 69. Rarick got off to a good start, going three under part on her first nine holes. Coe had a 35, then improved with a 34 on the back nine.
Two strokes behind the leaders were Missie McGeorge, Mary Murphy, Hollis Stacy and Heather Farr.
The players in the 54-hole tournament had to battle brisk northeasterly winds gusting to 25 m.p.h. and periodic downpours.
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