Manon De Roey defies brutal conditions to take opening day lead at Aramco Team Series – New York

NEW YORK: Belgium’s Manon De Roey has taken the individual lead in the opening round of the Aramco Team Series – New York, as the world’s top golfers battled the wind in the Ladies European Tour event.

De Roey, who clinched her first LET title win at the Aramco Team Series – Bangkok earlier this season, was flawless with a bogey-free round of 68 to finish on four under par.

Only four players at Trump Golf Links were able to shoot under par with better conditions expected on Friday and Saturday for a course favoring the long hitters.

“I’m very pleased with my score today,” said De Roey.

“It was tough out there. We had some rain, strong winds and just tried to keep it together for the team as well — being bogey-free today which is nice. I knew today was going to be tricky but I think for the next few days it’s going to be sunny and 19 degrees, so I’m looking forward to that. It can only get better from today, so I’m looking forward to it,” added the 30-year-old Belgian.

De Roey is in fourth place on the LET’s Race to Costa Del Sol standings following a good showing in New York that contributed to valuable points, with just three tournaments to go in the 2022 season.

Nelly Korda, champion at the last Aramco Team Series event in Spain, sits behind De Roey after a two under par round of 70. The American world No. 4 showed her class in the wind on her back nine — with her group of Noora Komulainen, Celine Herbin and amateur James Rawson in the team event also in second place.

“The weather wasn’t that great so we were all saving each other and thankfully we all had each other’s back,” said Korda.

“We played pretty well today. It was pretty windy and then it started kind of raining toward the start of our back nine and