Latest news with #Khang
The Age
28-04-2025
- Politics
- The Age
Not so pitch perfect: Young voice concerns (and it's not just the cost of living)
It's the election billed as the battle between Boomers and Zoomers. By most estimates, it's the first time Gen Zs and Millennials outnumber their parents and grandparents as a voting bloc. The parties have attempted to tailor their social media pitches accordingly on issues that disproportionately affect young people: the cost of living, HECS debts and housing. A tide of social media memes, AI ads and several diss tracks have been met with varying levels of enthusiasm from their target audience. For 17-year-old Khang Mai, who lives in the seat of Grayndler, the chance to have his voice heard for the first time is 'pretty exciting', even more so as he turns 18 just four days before the May 3 poll. He'll soon be in a cohort of 76,300 extra 18 and 19-year-olds on the electoral roll since 2022, compared with just 6800 more between 2019 and 2022. Khang is one of 20 people aged 25 and under from across Sydney that the Herald interviewed ahead of the election, where they explained the issues that matter most to them as they cast their vote. How important is this election, and how do you feel about voting? Khang: I'm pretty excited. I've been looking forward to voting because I've followed elections in the past, and I've wanted to be a part of it. (Khang was a member of the Labor Party in 2022 and 2023, but his membership has since lapsed.) Maive: This coming election really decides where Australia stands when it comes to what [US President Donald] Trump is doing, what's going on in Eastern Europe and the Middle East, and what are we hoping to add to the global space. Coby: I'm part of the Jewish community, and it's feeling like things are a bit tense at the moment, and scary for some. I do feel like this election will have a relatively important part to play. Natasha: This election feels like the most important election that I have lived to witness. It's the first time I'll be able to vote, and I think that the outcomes that we could be seeing are really vastly different and mean really different things for young people. Jiya: This election is definitely important because there have been major issues that have arisen [over] the last three years, like inflation and the high cost of living. Nikki: To be completely honest, I don't know if a new party or an election is going to change that much. I feel fine because, in my mind, I just don't think that much will change. Georja: We're not really taught about the voting process … we're not taught about things in layman's terms, and we're not taught about how things work with each policy and what they mean, so that makes it very confusing. Do politicians understand your generation? Kai: I think young people are very underrepresented in politics. I don't think we have our needs addressed much, especially when it comes to things like housing and education. I think the world is really expensive for a young person, and it's very difficult to survive. Loading Natasha: It feels like we're political chess pieces. That politicians are just throwing around words like 'cost-of-living relief' and things like that. Young people have it so tough and aren't being seen or heard in politics, and haven't in a long time. Coby: I just don't think they're really trying to understand the younger generation who will obviously be leading the country in the future. I just don't think that they are trying to understand issues facing younger generations. WenYuan: There definitely could be more done to look after the interests of younger people, especially with stuff like the environment. Acting very sluggish on that kind of shows a disinterest in looking after Australia for future generations. Grace: Gen Z and Millennials are the biggest voting bloc this election. You can't just skew your policies to old people who own homes. It just won't work. How do you feel about politics in general? Georja: You're making a vote based on the advertisement that is provided, which is basically the smear and fear campaigns on why the other party is worse than the party that you should vote for. Everyone's just focusing on showing why the other leader would be worse, rather than why they would be good. Grace: I'm clued into politics, but broadly frustrated. I feel like a lot of politics should be about people and about representation, but I think we're really seeing the politics of big business and giant corporations instead of everyday people. Viola: As a Jewish Australian, I haven't had the choice to not be informed, especially with the events of the past year or two. If I don't read the news, then I'm very much left out of a huge bubble of my community. What are the policies that have stood out the most to you? Matthew: I'm a big fan of having 20 per cent of my uni debt deleted. That sounds great. I'm a few grand up just from that alone. And although I know the news likes to hammer on about the 70 cents a day tax cut ... man, that's like 250 bucks a year. I'll take it. Charlotte: I think [the Coalition's policy of] super for housing is the most ridiculous, economically illiterate thing I've ever heard of. I think that just inflates the entire issue and ignores the root cause of it, which is the treatment of housing as predominantly an investment. Ethan: None of the policies so far have really jumped out at me, and I have been following the news. Every time I open my news app I'm just like 'ah bullshit'. It's just repetitive, and it's just politicians arguing at this point and not really focusing on the main point, which is helping out Australians. What are the biggest issues for you? Sebastian: Foreign policy and how Australia is going to take a part in that. Whether we will be a force for Trump or maybe push back a little bit. Viola: Cost of living I think is probably the biggest drawcard here as well as education. I've always valued the importance of education … making university education more accessible. Natasha: None of the major parties want to talk about the climate crisis, but they want to talk about energy. You can't talk about one without the other. Jiya: The [HECS] fees I'm going to be paying will be from my salary in the future, and that's pretty scary to think about. University students are going to graduate soon and then go into jobs, but they're not sure about how their money will be. WenYuan: Energy policy. I studied renewable energy engineering, so it's good that I know what's up, but it's also kind of depressing because my career prospects could hang in the balance with this election. We could seriously mess up the environment; we could seriously jeopardise our ability to transition to a more sustainable, more responsive grid. Khang: A lot of people are having a hard time, but I think people also need to remember that there's other, quite long-term issues that aren't really prominent right now, like climate and infrastructure. How do you feel about the leaders? Mary Anne: I know who they are, I've seen them around. But it's not like I really know them. You hear their names, you see them around in the media, but it's in and out. Kai: With [Prime Minister Anthony] Albanese, I feel a little bit disappointed ... but I don't like [Opposition Leader] Peter Dutton. For one thing, his approach to trans healthcare issues. That's a big one for me because I am a trans person. Khang: I don't think [the prime minister] is doing a perfect job because people are still doing it really tough now, but I think he is a pragmatic leader, and he tries to work with all the other parties to get stuff through. Matthew: Regardless of what you think morally about the Voice, I don't think [Albanese] played his cards right on that one. I think the idea behind it was good, but the actual execution was not ideal. What's your opinion on minor parties and independents? Maive: There's some limitations to the effectiveness of minor parties, but I feel like there's been quite a shift, especially with people I'm talking about with this upcoming election, towards the minor parties. Obviously, there's been such a volatile duality with the Republicans and Democrats in America. It's concerning me that we're going to have something similar with Labor and Liberal. WenYuan: Seeing all the independents and grassroots movement that have been very community-focused, very much prioritising the voices of their people – I think it's pretty sweet. Muskaanpreet: It's worth voting for [minor parties and independents] because I think it shows the Labor Party and the Liberal Party that the policies they stand for do matter. How do you feel about social media and influencers being used in political campaigning? Maive: Some politicians do it quite well, but sometimes you're like, 'come on, this is a serious issue, can we stop treating it like it's light-hearted?' We're adults too. We understand what's going on, and we should be treated like we understand what's going on. Georja: It's like a wolf in sheep's clothing. [Politicians] will try and dress up in our values and our priorities to get our vote, but it would be very important to also incorporate accurate information on those pages so people can start to understand more about what their policies are. Muskaanpreet: I think using TikTok or using memes is a good way to reach a Gen Z audience. I think it shows that the political candidates care as well, so I think it's useful, but I don't think it looks very professional. Matthew: I guess there's a point to be made that it's at least getting people to engage with it, but I don't know if it's getting them to engage in a constructive way. It's more just downplaying the seriousness of some of the issues by using this kind of language. How do you feel about the direction the country is heading? Arseen: I feel like we're heading towards a negative direction, to be honest, with all the cost of living, and the affordability and housing, it's getting more and more stressful. Viola: I do worry about how antisemitism is going to be handled, and how I am going to feel on university campuses or how am I going to feel walking down the streets. Jonty: I feel a lot of people right now don't feel things are great. I don't think there's any specific power that's kind of putting that at ease right now. Everyone's looking to just kind of stick through it, but overall, I still have hope. Coby: A lot of the information that the younger generations are getting is off social media, from TikTok, from the quickest access point possible. They don't want to actually deep dive into the real situation of anything. I am right-leaning, and a lot of the younger population is leaning towards the left, and it's just scary. Angus: My main concern is the influence of Trump and Trumpism, which I feel has been putting a lot of people off the Liberal Party this election. Mary Anne: In a way, yes and no, there are some changes that are happening in schools and universities, but I feel like it's slow. You can't make change in a day. Kai: When it comes to things like the cost of healthcare and just the cost of living in general, it seems to be getting worse. It's easy to feel pessimistic about it, like having GPs costing so much money. But I think I feel optimistic that as of recently, we're seeing America and not wanting to go that way, and so it's making us move in a bit of a better direction. At least, that's what I hope. Charlotte: I don't think I'm pessimistic at all. I think minority government, especially if we're returning to a Labor government, is probably quite good for young people. Grace: I don't feel particularly optimistic, but I do think that it is the role of young people to persevere and to make sure that we are in the room where decisions are being made so that we can shape that as best as we can.
Sydney Morning Herald
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Sydney Morning Herald
Not so pitch perfect: Young voice concerns (and it's not just the cost of living)
It's the election billed as the battle between Boomers and Zoomers. By most estimates, it's the first time Gen Zs and Millennials outnumber their parents and grandparents as a voting bloc. The parties have attempted to tailor their social media pitches accordingly on issues that disproportionately affect young people: the cost of living, HECS debts and housing. A tide of social media memes, AI ads and several diss tracks have been met with varying levels of enthusiasm from their target audience. For 17-year-old Khang Mai, who lives in the seat of Grayndler, the chance to have his voice heard for the first time is 'pretty exciting', even more so as he turns 18 just four days before the May 3 poll. He'll soon be in a cohort of 76,300 extra 18 and 19-year-olds on the electoral roll since 2022, compared with just 6800 more between 2019 and 2022. Khang is one of 20 people aged 25 and under from across Sydney that the Herald interviewed ahead of the election, where they explained the issues that matter most to them as they cast their vote. How important is this election, and how do you feel about voting? Khang: I'm pretty excited. I've been looking forward to voting because I've followed elections in the past, and I've wanted to be a part of it. (Khang was a member of the Labor Party in 2022 and 2023, but his membership has since lapsed.) Maive: This coming election really decides where Australia stands when it comes to what [US President Donald] Trump is doing, what's going on in Eastern Europe and the Middle East, and what are we hoping to add to the global space. Coby: I'm part of the Jewish community, and it's feeling like things are a bit tense at the moment, and scary for some. I do feel like this election will have a relatively important part to play. Natasha: This election feels like the most important election that I have lived to witness. It's the first time I'll be able to vote, and I think that the outcomes that we could be seeing are really vastly different and mean really different things for young people. Jiya: This election is definitely important because there have been major issues that have arisen [over] the last three years, like inflation and the high cost of living. Nikki: To be completely honest, I don't know if a new party or an election is going to change that much. I feel fine because, in my mind, I just don't think that much will change. Georja: We're not really taught about the voting process … we're not taught about things in layman's terms, and we're not taught about how things work with each policy and what they mean, so that makes it very confusing. Do politicians understand your generation? Kai: I think young people are very underrepresented in politics. I don't think we have our needs addressed much, especially when it comes to things like housing and education. I think the world is really expensive for a young person, and it's very difficult to survive. Loading Natasha: It feels like we're political chess pieces. That politicians are just throwing around words like 'cost-of-living relief' and things like that. Young people have it so tough and aren't being seen or heard in politics, and haven't in a long time. Coby: I just don't think they're really trying to understand the younger generation who will obviously be leading the country in the future. I just don't think that they are trying to understand issues facing younger generations. WenYuan: There definitely could be more done to look after the interests of younger people, especially with stuff like the environment. Acting very sluggish on that kind of shows a disinterest in looking after Australia for future generations. Grace: Gen Z and Millennials are the biggest voting bloc this election. You can't just skew your policies to old people who own homes. It just won't work. How do you feel about politics in general? Georja: You're making a vote based on the advertisement that is provided, which is basically the smear and fear campaigns on why the other party is worse than the party that you should vote for. Everyone's just focusing on showing why the other leader would be worse, rather than why they would be good. Grace: I'm clued into politics, but broadly frustrated. I feel like a lot of politics should be about people and about representation, but I think we're really seeing the politics of big business and giant corporations instead of everyday people. Viola: As a Jewish Australian, I haven't had the choice to not be informed, especially with the events of the past year or two. If I don't read the news, then I'm very much left out of a huge bubble of my community. What are the policies that have stood out the most to you? Matthew: I'm a big fan of having 20 per cent of my uni debt deleted. That sounds great. I'm a few grand up just from that alone. And although I know the news likes to hammer on about the 70 cents a day tax cut ... man, that's like 250 bucks a year. I'll take it. Charlotte: I think [the Coalition's policy of] super for housing is the most ridiculous, economically illiterate thing I've ever heard of. I think that just inflates the entire issue and ignores the root cause of it, which is the treatment of housing as predominantly an investment. Ethan: None of the policies so far have really jumped out at me, and I have been following the news. Every time I open my news app I'm just like 'ah bullshit'. It's just repetitive, and it's just politicians arguing at this point and not really focusing on the main point, which is helping out Australians. What are the biggest issues for you? Sebastian: Foreign policy and how Australia is going to take a part in that. Whether we will be a force for Trump or maybe push back a little bit. Viola: Cost of living I think is probably the biggest drawcard here as well as education. I've always valued the importance of education … making university education more accessible. Natasha: None of the major parties want to talk about the climate crisis, but they want to talk about energy. You can't talk about one without the other. Jiya: The [HECS] fees I'm going to be paying will be from my salary in the future, and that's pretty scary to think about. University students are going to graduate soon and then go into jobs, but they're not sure about how their money will be. WenYuan: Energy policy. I studied renewable energy engineering, so it's good that I know what's up, but it's also kind of depressing because my career prospects could hang in the balance with this election. We could seriously mess up the environment; we could seriously jeopardise our ability to transition to a more sustainable, more responsive grid. Khang: A lot of people are having a hard time, but I think people also need to remember that there's other, quite long-term issues that aren't really prominent right now, like climate and infrastructure. How do you feel about the leaders? Mary Anne: I know who they are, I've seen them around. But it's not like I really know them. You hear their names, you see them around in the media, but it's in and out. Kai: With [Prime Minister Anthony] Albanese, I feel a little bit disappointed ... but I don't like [Opposition Leader] Peter Dutton. For one thing, his approach to trans healthcare issues. That's a big one for me because I am a trans person. Khang: I don't think [the prime minister] is doing a perfect job because people are still doing it really tough now, but I think he is a pragmatic leader, and he tries to work with all the other parties to get stuff through. Matthew: Regardless of what you think morally about the Voice, I don't think [Albanese] played his cards right on that one. I think the idea behind it was good, but the actual execution was not ideal. What's your opinion on minor parties and independents? Maive: There's some limitations to the effectiveness of minor parties, but I feel like there's been quite a shift, especially with people I'm talking about with this upcoming election, towards the minor parties. Obviously, there's been such a volatile duality with the Republicans and Democrats in America. It's concerning me that we're going to have something similar with Labor and Liberal. WenYuan: Seeing all the independents and grassroots movement that have been very community-focused, very much prioritising the voices of their people – I think it's pretty sweet. Muskaanpreet: It's worth voting for [minor parties and independents] because I think it shows the Labor Party and the Liberal Party that the policies they stand for do matter. How do you feel about social media and influencers being used in political campaigning? Maive: Some politicians do it quite well, but sometimes you're like, 'come on, this is a serious issue, can we stop treating it like it's light-hearted?' We're adults too. We understand what's going on, and we should be treated like we understand what's going on. Georja: It's like a wolf in sheep's clothing. [Politicians] will try and dress up in our values and our priorities to get our vote, but it would be very important to also incorporate accurate information on those pages so people can start to understand more about what their policies are. Muskaanpreet: I think using TikTok or using memes is a good way to reach a Gen Z audience. I think it shows that the political candidates care as well, so I think it's useful, but I don't think it looks very professional. Matthew: I guess there's a point to be made that it's at least getting people to engage with it, but I don't know if it's getting them to engage in a constructive way. It's more just downplaying the seriousness of some of the issues by using this kind of language. How do you feel about the direction the country is heading? Arseen: I feel like we're heading towards a negative direction, to be honest, with all the cost of living, and the affordability and housing, it's getting more and more stressful. Viola: I do worry about how antisemitism is going to be handled, and how I am going to feel on university campuses or how am I going to feel walking down the streets. Jonty: I feel a lot of people right now don't feel things are great. I don't think there's any specific power that's kind of putting that at ease right now. Everyone's looking to just kind of stick through it, but overall, I still have hope. Coby: A lot of the information that the younger generations are getting is off social media, from TikTok, from the quickest access point possible. They don't want to actually deep dive into the real situation of anything. I am right-leaning, and a lot of the younger population is leaning towards the left, and it's just scary. Angus: My main concern is the influence of Trump and Trumpism, which I feel has been putting a lot of people off the Liberal Party this election. Mary Anne: In a way, yes and no, there are some changes that are happening in schools and universities, but I feel like it's slow. You can't make change in a day. Kai: When it comes to things like the cost of healthcare and just the cost of living in general, it seems to be getting worse. It's easy to feel pessimistic about it, like having GPs costing so much money. But I think I feel optimistic that as of recently, we're seeing America and not wanting to go that way, and so it's making us move in a bit of a better direction. At least, that's what I hope. Charlotte: I don't think I'm pessimistic at all. I think minority government, especially if we're returning to a Labor government, is probably quite good for young people. Grace: I don't feel particularly optimistic, but I do think that it is the role of young people to persevere and to make sure that we are in the room where decisions are being made so that we can shape that as best as we can.
NBC Sports
03-04-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Nelly Korda settles for tie, Hyo Joo Kim rolls to 8-and-7 win at LPGA's T-Mobile Match Play
NORTH LAS VEGAS, Nev. — Defending champion Nelly Korda became the latest example of anything goes in the T-Mobile Match Play when she settled for a halve Wednesday against Brittany Altomare, No. 828 in the world and still building her game after an 18-month break from having a baby. Korda was 2 up with four holes to play at Shadow Creek when Altomare won the 15th with a par and the 16th with a birdie. She made a 4-foot bogey putt on the 18th hole to halve the match after Korda was short on her par putt from the fringe. 'It's match play, so anything can happen,' said Altomare, whose only tournament in 2024 was on the Epson Tour. 'To end up in a tie was a win for me. Nelly is a great player.' The format has returned to round-robin play among the 16 groups of four players, so Korda still has a path to the knockout stage of the weekend. Hyo Joo Kim, coming off a playoff win last week in Phoenix, made short work of Bailey Tardy with an 8-and-7 victory, and Brooke Henderson also had an easy time, 6 and 5, over Leona Maguire of Ireland. But it was a typically wild day in this once-a-year format. Albane Valenzuela was 5 down at the turn to Megan Khang before she stormed back to square the match through 16 holes. Khang had to get up-and-down from behind the 17th green to avoid falling behind, and then the closing hole flipped. Khang was still in the fairway playing her third shot and judged it perfectly off a backstop, the ball rolling out to 4 feet for a chance at par. Valenzuela went from a bunker to the back of the green, facing a 60-foot putt with a steep ridge halfway to the hole. Full scoring, pool records from the T-Mobile Match Play Her putt was an inch from catching the ridge. Her par putt had no chance and rolled out 12 feet, and she missed the bogey putt and conceded the match. Khang never had to putt. 'Happy to get the win, but in stressful fashion,' Khang said. Jenny Shin had a tough loss, and not just because she had a 3-up lead. She was 1 up until A Lim Kim won the 17th with a birdie. On the final hole, Shin had a sharp-breaking putt from about 20 feet for birdie to win the match. She ran that 5 feet by and missed the par putt to lose. Charley Hull of England was all square with Alexa Pano until winning five straight holes on the back nine for a 5-and-3 victory. Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand, the No. 2 player in the women's world ranking, had a 6-and-5 win over Danielle Kang, who lives in Las Vegas and received a sponsor exemption. Kang has fallen to No. 375 in the world. Four of the top eight seeds lost their opening matches, including third-seeded Lydia Ko, 6 and 4, to Hira Naveed, who was first alternate two days ago. 'Having Lydia as the first girl to play, I knew I had the task at hand,' Naveed said. 'Just went out there and played fearless golf and hit some great shots and made putts, so that was good.' The others to lose were Haeran Ryu, Ruoning Yin and Jin Young Ko.
Boston Globe
03-04-2025
- Sport
- Boston Globe
Nelly Korda settles for a halve, while Megan Khang survives roller-coaster Day One at LPGA Match Play
Advertisement . — LPGA T-Mobile Match Play Presented by MGM Rewards (@LPGAMatchPlay) The format has returned to round-robin play among the 16 groups of four players, so Korda still has a path to the knockout stage of the weekend. But it was a typically wild day in this once-a-year format. Albane Valenzuela was 5 down at the turn to Megan Khang before she stormed back to square the match through 16 holes. The pride of Rockland had to get up-and-down from behind the 17th green to avoid falling behind, and then the closing hole flipped. Megan Khang, the pride of Rockland, survived blowing a 5-up lead to Albane Valenzuela before taking a 1-up victory Wednesday on the first day of the LPGA Match Play tournament in Las Vegas. John Locher/Associated Press Khang was still in the fairway playing her third shot and judged it perfectly off a backstop, the ball rolling out to 4 feet for a chance at par. Valenzuela went from a bunker to the back of the green, facing a 60-foot putt with a steep ridge halfway to the hole. Advertisement Her putt was an inch from catching the ridge. Her par putt had no chance and rolled out 12 feet, and she missed the bogey putt and conceded the match. Khang never had to putt. 'Happy to get the win, but in stressful fashion,' Khang said. Megan Khang grinded it out for an opening win in Vegas 💪 — LPGA (@LPGA) Hyo Joo Kim, coming off a playoff win last week in Phoenix, made short work of Bailey Tardy with an 8-and-7 victory, and Brooke Henderson also had an easy time, 6 and 5, over Leona Maguire of Ireland. Jenny Shin had a tough loss, and not just because she had a 3-up lead. She was 1 up until A Lim Kim won the 17th with a birdie. On the final hole, Shin had a sharp-breaking putt from about 20 feet for birdie to win the match. She ran that 5 feet by and missed the par putt to lose. Charley Hull of England was all square with Westborough's Alexa Pano until winning five straight holes on the back nine for a 5-and-3 victory. Westborough native Alexa Pano watches her tee shot on the sixth hole during her loss to Charley Hull of England Wednesday in Las Vegas. David Becker/Getty Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand, the No. 2 player in the women's world ranking, had a 6-and-5 win over Danielle Kang, who lives in Las Vegas and received a sponsor exemption. Kang, battling back from injury, has fallen to No. 375 in the world. Four of the top eight seeds lost their opening matches, including third-seeded Lydia Ko, 6 and 4, to Hira Naveed, who was first alternate two days ago. 'Having Lydia as the first girl to play, I knew I had the task at hand,' Naveed said. 'Just went out there and played fearless golf and hit some great shots and made putts, so that was good.' Advertisement The others to lose were Haeran Ryu, Ruoning Yin and Jin Young Ko.
Associated Press
03-04-2025
- Sport
- Associated Press
Nelly Korda settles for a halve and Hyo Joo Kim rolls on in LPGA Match Play
NORTH LAS VEGAS, Nev. (AP) — Defending champion Nelly Korda became the latest example of anything goes in the T-Mobile Match Play when she settled for a halve Wednesday against Brittany Altomare, No. 828 in the world and still building her game after an 18-month break from having a baby. Korda was 2 up with four holes to play at Shadow Creek when Altomare won the 15th with a par and the 16th with a birdie. She made a 4-foot bogey putt on the 18th hole to halve the match after Korda was short on her par putt from the fringe. 'It's match play, so anything can happen,' said Altomare, whose only tournament in 2024 was on the Epson Tour. 'To end up in a tie was a win for me. Nelly is a great player.' The format has returned to round-robin play among the 16 groups of four players, so Korda still has a path to the knockout stage of the weekend. Hyo Joo Kim, coming off a playoff win last week in Phoenix, made short work of Bailey Tardy with an 8-and-7 victory, and Brooke Henderson also had an easy time, 6 and 5, over Leona Maguire of Ireland. But it was a typically wild day in this once-a-year format. Albane Valenzuela was 5 down at the turn to Megan Khang before she stormed back to square the match through 16 holes. Khang had to get up-and-down from behind the 17th green to avoid falling behind, and then the closing hole flipped. Khang was still in the fairway playing her third shot and judged it perfectly off a backstop, the ball rolling out to 4 feet for a chance at par. Valenzuela went from a bunker to the back of the green, facing a 60-foot putt with a steep ridge halfway to the hole. Her putt was an inch from catching the ridge. Her par putt had no chance and rolled out 12 feet, and she missed the bogey putt and conceded the match. Khang never had to putt. 'Happy to get the win, but in stressful fashion,' Khang said. Jenny Shin had a tough loss, and not just because she had a 3-up lead. She was 1 up until A Lim Kim won the 17th with a birdie. On the final hole, Shin had a sharp-breaking putt from about 20 feet for birdie to win the match. She ran that 5 feet by and missed the par putt to lose. Charley Hull of England was all square with Alexa Pano until winning five straight holes on the back nine for a 5-and-3 victory. Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand, the No. 2 player in the women's world ranking, had a 6-and-5 win over Danielle Kang, who lives in Las Vegas and received a sponsor exemption. Kang has fallen to No. 375 in the world. Four of the top eight seeds lost their opening matches, including third-seeded Lydia Ko, 6 and 4, to Hira Naveed, who was first alternate two days ago. 'Having Lydia as the first girl to play, I knew I had the task at hand,' Naveed said. 'Just went out there and played fearless golf and hit some great shots and made putts, so that was good.' The others to lose were Haeran Ryu, Ruoning Yin and Jin Young Ko.
