Ally Ewing makes late eagle, grabs solo lead at 2023 AIG Women’s Open

Ally Ewing has had a rollercoaster last few months on the LPGA.

In May, at the Bank of Hope Match Play, she finished 17th. Then she missed a cut at the Mizuho Americas.

A tie for eighth at the Meijer LPGA Classic was followed by a missed cut at the KPMG Women’s PGA.

A solo 11th at the U.S. Women’s Open was followed by a missed cut at the Amundi Evian Championship.

She posted a T-9 a week ago in the Women’s Scottish Open but looks to be in good shape to buck the missed-cut-every-other-event trend this week at the AIG Women’s Open.

Ewing rebounded from back-to-back bogeys on Nos. 13 and 14 with a birdie on 15 and an eagle on 16 at Walton Heath in Surrey, England.

“The ball was sitting down a bit,” she said after her drive on 16 ended up in the rough. “But I happened to see both my playing competitors hit shots and noticed how firm it was up in front of the green and so I was actually able to learn a little bit there. It was kind of a gouge-type shot and I just let it chase and it just so happened to chase to like five feet. It was one of those where you’re trying to give yourself an eagle chance and it just so happened to be a five-footer, so definitely happy to walk away with an eagle.”

Her 4-under 68 elevated her into the solo lead after one round of the final LPGA major of 2023.

There’s a logjam in second at 3 under between Jeongeun Lee6, Emily Kristine Pedersen, Perrine Delacour, Jaravee Boonchant and Amy Yang. They all shot 69s.

There’s even a bigger cluster at 2 under, with 12 golfers tied for seventh after shooting 70. That group includes Carlota Ciganda, who was disqualified from the last LPGA major, the Amundi Evian Championship, for signing an incorrect scorecard, an incident that arose out of a two-stroke penalty for slow play. Also at 2 under is U.S. Open champ, Allisen Corpuz.

As for the other 2023 LPGA major champs: KPMG Women’s PGA champ Yin Ruoning, even; Chevron Championship winner Lilia Vu, 1 over; Amundi winner Celine Boutier, 2 over.

Other notable scores: Danielle Kang (E), Stacy Lewis (E), Jin Young Ko (1 over), Nelly Korda (1 over), Lydia Ko (2 over), defending AIG champ Ashleigh Buhai (2 over), Brooke Henderson (3 over) and Lexi Thompson (4 over).

Thirty-three golfers broke par on the first day.