Portland: "Pro Piano" Apichaya Yubol delivered an impressive performance, shooting a bogey-free first round with a 6-under-par 66. This effort propelled her to a tie for second place after the first round of the Standard Portland Classic at Columbia Edgewater Country Club, just one stroke behind leader Maria Galdiano.
According to Thai News Agency, the 24-year-old Thai professional golfer started the back nine with a score of 34, advancing into the front nine with a steady performance before closing the round with 6 birdies and 12 pars, achieving a total score of 6 under par. Meanwhile, Galdiano secured the solo lead with a score of 7 under par 65.
Apichaya initiated her round on the back nine with pars on holes 10 and 11, before earning her first birdie on the par-5 12th hole, elevating her score to 1 under par. She then added another birdie on the par-4 14th hole, maintaining her score at 2 under par to conclude the first nine holes.
The competition intensified as they transitioned to the next nine holes. Apichaya made a birdie on the par-4 1st hole, moving to 3 under par, before sinking consecutive birdies on the par-5 5th and 7th holes, raising her score to 5 under par. She then advanced her score to 6 under with a birdie on the 8th hole, and concluded with a par on the 9th, securing a final nine score of 32, marking a strong finish to the first round.
"Pro Piano" expressed her thoughts following the first day's competition, stating, "It was a great day, especially the putting. I only made 23 putts today, which is incredible. It's probably the first time I've ever done that in a single round. Plus, my drives and short game were consistent."
Furthermore, Apichaya mentioned that participating in the pro-am round earlier this week assisted her in remaining calm under pressure. Her score of 66 marks a promising start for her fourth appearance in this tournament, following previous finishes tied for 21st in 2025, tied for 30th in 2024, and being eliminated in the first round during her debut in 2023.
Leading the pack is American professional golfer Marielle Galdiano, who scored 7 under par.
The performance summary of Thai golfers in the first round is as follows:
-6 (tied for 2nd place) Apichaya Yubol
-5 (tied for 9th place) Pajaree Anannarukan, Suwichaya Winichaitham
-4 (tied for 25th place) Atthaya Thitikul
-3 (Tied for 33rd place) Chanetti Wannasaen
-1 (Tied for 61st place) Moriya Jutanugarn, Ariya Jutanugarn, Pornanong Phetlame