After the first round of the Honda LPGA Thailand, Nasa Hataoka and home-country star Chanettee Wannasaen are tied for the lead, both shooting -7 65.
Hataoka started solid with three birdies and only one dropped shot on the front nine. On the back nine though, she took it to the next level with five birdies and no bogeys.
Unsurprisingly for one of the best ball strikers on Tour, Hataoka was in prime form from long range. She hit 13 fairways and 14 greens. She executed phenomenally with the putter as well, needing only 26 strokes with the flat stick to finish out her round.
Hataoka is looking for the eighth win of her LPGA Tour career. She broke a two-season winless streak in her home country of Japan in 2025, winning a tournament shortened by rain.
Hataoka shares the lead with Thailand’s own Chanettee Wannasaen, who had a loaded scorecard with two bogeys and nine birdies. Wannasaen hit 13 fairways and 17 greens on the way to a phenomenal first round.
Wannasaen is an underrated star from Thailand, who is a bit inconsistent, but has winning experience on the LPGA Tour. In three seasons, the 21-year-old has two wins, once as a Monday qualifier in Portland, and another in Toledo in 2024.
The leaderboard is loaded though, with 14 more players within two strokes of the lead, including Jeeno Thitikul, Hannah Green, Ariya Jutanugarn, Grace Kim and Lydia Ko.
