＜Photo：Atsushi Tomura/Getty Images＞

​50th LPGA Championship Konica Minolta cup​

​Asuka Kashiwabara had 6 birdies and 2 bogeys to finish the first round with 4 under par in spite of tough course. “Today’s green-in-regulation was 14 times. I tried not to be greedy and was able to take advantage of opportunity I myself had made, concentrating on until the very end,” she said.　Exciting four consecutive birdies started from No 5.With new Belly putter, she sank 5 or 6 meters calmly. “I had used Belly putter before turned pro but this is what I had ordered 2 weeks before and this week arrived. It feels very good.”

What is the key leading to four consecutive birdies? “It is No 1. Today I started at back nine,”she answered right away. When bogeyed No 18, she felt it was getting even worse. Off the next No 1 tee, her tee shot jumped into rough to put back the second shot to the fairway. Besides, approach shot was left 4 meters to save par. “Though I had a tough line, I was able to swing quite well concentrating on myself. It’s worth more than birdie,” she said.

Last week she played the tournament in Korea for the first time, only to finish at 69th.But she learned anything . “Young players like me are competing with each other for win naturally. I had believed to be too young to win until then. And environment for players in Korea isn’t as good as in Japan. I am lucky. I recognized many things when playing abroad for the first time,” she revealed.

It is irreplaceable experience and precious to her. “Today’s 4 under is good, but I won’t expect what score tomorrow will be, because I will be all the more nervous when I shoot more than expected. My goal is to be 100 percent every day. I hope so.”​ ​