Ryan Fox makes slow start at Rocket Mortgage Classic; Lydia Ko off the pace at Dow Championship

Ryan Fox looks on from the ninth tee during the first round of the Rocket Mortgage Classic. Photo / Getty Images

Ryan Fox and Lydia Ko have made slow starts to their respective tournaments on the PGA and LPGA Tour this week, leaving both with work to do to stay above the cut line in their second rounds.

Fox finished his opening round with a one-under-par 71 at the Rocket Mortgage Classic in Detroit this morning, a birdie on 18 securing him an under-par round. The world No 62 opened his tournament by dropping a shot on the first hole. A birdie on the par-five seventh saw him get that shot back, but a bogey on the par-three ninth meant he had work to do down the back nine.

He got off to strong start at the turn, gaining two shots with birdies on the 11th and 14th, but a bogey on 16 put him back to even for the round.

His birdie on 18 saw him end the day in a tie for 75th at one-under, seven shots back from leader Akshay Bhatia.

Bhatia chipped in for an eagle from 25.3 metres on the 17th and ended with a birdie on 18 for an eight-under 64 day, giving him a one-shot cushion that isn’t comfortable.

“It’s always nice to finish like that,” he said. “This tournament’s always kind of a birdie fest, so birdies and eagles help a lot.”

The 22-year-old, who won the Texas Open in April for his second PGA Tour title, was six-under over his last six holes in the first round, coming in off a tie for fifth in last week’s Travelers Championship in Connecticut.

Further north in Michigan at the Dow Championship team’s event in Midland, Ko and playing partner Danielle Kang (USA) finished with a one-over-par 71 to end the day in a tie for 43rd.

The pair were left to rue a double bogey on the par-four eighth, with four birdies in the round cancelling out the shots they dropped with bogeys on the second, fourth, and 17th holes.

They will start their second round on the wrong side of the cut line, which is projected to be one-under.

Ruoning Yin (China) and Atthaya Thitikul (Thailand), Jaravee Boonchant and Chanettee Wannasaen (Thailand), and Ally Ewing and Jennifer Kupcho (USA) shared the round-one lead at six-under-par.

The tournament is the only official team event on the LPGA Tour schedule.

- With AP