Up to the range: Ariya opens slowly

Ariya Jutanugarn sat on the driving range within five minutes of signing her card in The Grange.

An opening 76 with two double bogeys and only two birdies at the par-fives was not what the reigning world No. 1 was looking for, and she admitted afterwards that she was a way to find the three-victory season last year.

"You know what, I still have a lot of things to work on, & # 39 ;, # the Thai superstar said.

Jutanugarn initially started with a birdie but immediately doubled the second, took a five from the par-three eighth hole and limped in with four consecutive pars.

Great galleries followed her, and she certainly overwhelmed them with some of her strength.

But she did not take a driver, preferred her nuclear three wood and sometimes long irons of the tees, meaning she played far from the American Nelly Korda, a bomber whose second shot to the 348 meter long 18th hole did not exceed 55 meter. "I never feel like I have to do that (use the driver)," she said. "I'm just going to bring in whenever I want, so not now."

Jutanugarn said she was happy with her new caddy Tim Butler, who replaces Daniel Taylor, husband of the Swedish professional Pernilla Lindberg, who had only one tournament on her bag – last month at the tournament of champions in Florida.

Although it gives the appearance of some instability, Jutanugarn was a fact. "He (Butler) did a good job," she said. He is a very nice guy and he helped me a lot. And he also seems to be a very good caddy. "

Asked why she had made the change, Jutanugarn skipped the most recent change and referred back to her previous walker, Les Luerk. "You know, we've been together for so long, and he's my family, he's like my brother, and sometimes we fight a lot. And we do not want that kind of feelings, you know, really close family and fighting, you know. "

Jutanugarn finds himself 11 shots from the lead but tomorrow she has the potential advantage of an early start. She leaves at 7.44 with Lydia Ko and Korda tomorrow.