Salas surges to LPGA Indy lead with record-equalling 62

LOS ANGELES, California: American Lizette Salas fired a course record-equalling 10-under par 62 on Thursday to take a two-shot first-round lead over Japan’s Nasa Hataoka and Angel Yin in the LPGA Indy Championship.

Salas birdied the last three holes at the Brickyard Crossing Golf Club course in Indianapolis, Indiana, two of them after waiting through a weather delay.With an eagle and eight birdies total, her career best round put her two ahead of two 19-year-olds — American Angel Yin and Japan’s Nasa Hataoka.

Sweden’s Caroline Hedwall, South Korean Ko Jin-young and Americans Danielle Kang and Jane Park shared fourth, a further stroke back on 65 and New Zealand star Lydia Ko headed a group of six players on 66.

Salas got going early with an eagle at the par-five second hole. She birdied three in a row from the fourth through the sixth and bagged two more birdies at 12 and 14.After a birdie at 16, she was on the green and looking at a birdie putt when play was halted for more than an hour.

“I had about a four-foot putt on 17,” Salas said. “I didn’t even think about it the entire time during the delay. I was hanging out with Danielle (Kang) and she was giving me her silly dad jokes, so it definitely kept my mind off of it.

“I was really excited to be back. And to finish off with birdie on 18 from off the green, which is icing on the cake, so I’ve just got to keep it going the next three days.”Yin exploded out of the gate with eight birdies in her first nine holes, her eight-under 28 on the front nine one short of the LPGA’s nine-hole record.

Yin needed just nine putts on her front nine and came home in even par with one more birdie and a bogey in her eight-under 64.Hataoka had eight birdies without a bogey for her share of second.