Maude-Aimée Leblanc was heading for an encouraging result in her first round of the Cognizant Founders Cup, but a double bogey on the penultimate hole ruined everything on Thursday in Clifton, New Jersey.
The Quebecer will have a lot of catching up to do, she who is tied for 92nd place by virtue of a card of 73 (+1). It was on the par-3 of the eighth pennant that Leblanc stumbled, needing five shots to put the ball in the bottom of the cup.
The 33-year-old Sherbrooke resident, who started the day on the back nine, has been waiting for her first birdie for a long time. This happened on the second hole and she added a second on the fourth.
Canadian Maddie Szeryk handed an identical card to Leblanc, with two birdies and three bogeys. They are both far from Sweden’s Madelene Sagstrom, who moved to the top thanks to a clear round of 63 (-9). American Megan Khang is one stroke behind.
On Tuesday, Leblanc secured qualification for the US Open by playing two rounds in a single day in Morristown, New Jersey. With two identical scores of 72 (E) she won the qualifying event. Her last appearance in this major tournament dates back to 2016. She finished 26th.
From June 2-5, the US Open will be played at Pine Needles Lodge and Golf Club in Southern Pines, North Carolina.
A record for Sebastian Munoz
On the PGA side, Colombian Sebastian Munoz set a TPC Craig Ranch course record by delivering a 60 (-12) card in the first round of the AT&T Byron Nelson tournament in McKinney, Texas.
The leader in the standings had eagles on the ninth and 12th holes. His back nine was nothing short of exceptional, he slashed par shots to seven pennants.
“It’s an amazing feeling when everything is working as it should. Drives go in the little window you imagined, the speed of putts [est parfaite]. When everything is going well, you fall in your zone and let the rest happen,” Munoz told members of the media after his round.
He is four strokes ahead of his closest pursuers, a quartet of Chilean Mito Pereira, South Korean KH Lee and Americans Peter Malnati and Justin Lower.
Mackenzie Hughes was the best Canadian of this first 18 holes in Texas by delivering a score of 68 (-4). He is tied for 25th.
Adam Svensson (-3, 40th), Roger Sloan (-1, 79th), Michael Gligic (E, 107th), Nick Taylor (E, 107th) and Adam Hadwin (+2, 143rd) are the other representatives of the maple leaf at this tournament.