CME Group Tour Championship: Na-Rin An leads LPGA Tour season finale after first round

South Korea’s Na-Rin An holds a one-shot lead after the opening round of the CME Group Tour Championship, with world No 1 Nelly Korda off to a slow start.

An, who has never previously won on the LPGA Tour, tops the leaderboard at eight under after making eight birdies in a bogey-free opening round of 64 at the Tiburon Golf Club in Naples, Florida.

One shot off the pace is American Angel Yin, who recovered from a pair of bogeys in her opening four holes to post a seven-under 65, boosted by an eagle three at the par-five 17th.

Former US Women’s Open winner Allisen Corpuz and Marina Alex are tied for third one shot further back, while fellow former major winners Ariya Jutanugarn, Celine Boutier and reigning AIG Women’s Open champion Lydia Ko are in a grouping at five under.

Ireland’s Leona Maguire is within striking distance after making four birdies in a three-under 69 for her first round.

World No 1 Nelly Korda endured a tougher opening round, carding a level-par 72 to sit some way off the pace. England’s Charley Hull, who Korda beat out to win The Annika last weekend – her seventh win on tour this season – also struggled on day one.

Hull sits one over after two bogeys and a double-bogey in her opening 73.

The winner of the LPGA Tour’s season-ending tournament takes home $4m (£3.2m) in prize money, the largest single-day payoff in women’s golf.

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Watch round two of the CME Group Tour Championship, from Naples in Florida, live on Sky Sports Golf and Sky Sports+ from 8pm on Friday. Stream with NOW.

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