Madelene Sagstrom started the JM Eagle LA Championship with her first tournament ace on the par-3 ninth hole, hitting a 120-yard shot. She scored a 7-under 65 in the opening round after winning the T-Mobile Match Play in Las Vegas recently. Despite facing colder conditions towards the end of the round, Sagstrom's strategic shot selection paid off with a memorable hole-in-one moment.
Sagstrom's strong start at the LA Championship reflects her continued success on the greens following her previous victory in Las Vegas. She attributes her positive momentum to a match play mentality of quickly moving past mistakes. Currently, she is two strokes behind Ashleigh Buhai, the leader who shot 63, and is tied with In Gee Chun. World No. 1 Nelly Korda is trailing by four strokes. Additionally, 16-year-old amateur Asterisk Talley, a U.S. Girls' Junior finalist, began the tournament with a solid 69 at El Caballero Country Club.