Salas leads Women’s PGA and sees brighter days post-pandemic

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — Lizette Salas was in her happy place Thursday, and not just because she kept bogeys off her card at tough Atlanta Athletic Club and posted a 5-under 67 for a one-shot lead in the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.

Her game is rounding into form as the Solheim Cup approaches. That’s a big deal to her, too.

But the broad smile went well beyond golf. The COVID-19 pandemic took its toll on the 31-year-old Californian, dulling her usual spark and creating anxiety that she initially mistook for nerves. “I really didn’t like myself in 2020, and I think with the whole COVID and not being able to work and have golf as my outlet, that really hit hard,” Salas said.

She had never talked about it publicly until Thursday, confident that the worst is behind her. She never spoke about it to her parents or coaches or support team. “It was hard for me to even speak about it just because I felt like other people are going through the same thing. Why do I need to feel sorry for myself ?” she said. “Over time, it accumulated and got worse, and when I finally got out here, it was just … so bad that the golf couldn’t help.”

One round wasn’t going to solve everything, and Salas saw enough of the Atlanta Athletic Club to realize it won’t be smooth sailing all week.

She led by one shot over Charley Hull of England, who had a 68 for the best score in the afternoon. What makes Hull happy is she’s going home on Monday after a month on the road, which preceded a seven-week stretch playing the LPGA Tour schedule.

Jessica Korda and former U.S. Women’s Open champion Jeongeun Lee6 were in a group at 69, among nine players who managed to post scores in the 60s.

Nelly Korda, who last week became the first two-time winner on this LPGA Tour season of parity, was at 70 along with a trio of major champions, including ANA Inspiration winner Patty Tavatanakit, who started with three birdies in five holes and closed with a pair of birdies.

Inbee Park, the seven-time major champion and Olympic gold medalist, played better than her score of 71, all because of one hole.

She had mud on her ball from rain earlier in the week, and it hooked some 50 yards left on the par-4 eighth hole, down an embankment and into the water. After a drop in deep rough to a short-sided pin, she conservatively went long to keep it rolling back down the hill, and she three-putted for triple bogey from some 70 feet.