South Korea’s Kim Sei-young, seeking her first LPGA Tour victory since 2020, fired a bogey-free six-under-par 66 to grab a one-stroke lead after Thursday’s opening round of the Founders Cup.
The 30-year-old from Seoul, who won the Founders Cup in 2016 when the event was staged in Arizona, grabbed a one-stroke lead over compatriot Ryu Hae-ran after 18 holes at Upper Montclair Country Club in Clifton, New Jersey.
Kim birdied the par-four 3rd and par-three 6th and reeled off four birdies in a row from the par-five 12th through the par-three 15th holes to seize the lead.
Taiwan’s 42nd-ranked Chien Peiyun had a chance to claim a share of the lead but the back-nine starter closed with back-to-back bogeys at the par-three 8th and par-five 9th to fall into a third-place pack on 68.
Also two strokes adrift were South Koreans Choi Hye-jin and Ko Jin-young, Australian defending champion Minjee Lee, Japan’s Nasa Hataoka, Americans Stacy Lewis and Cheyenne Knight, Thailand’s Atthaya Thitikul and Canada’s Maddie Szeryk.
South Africa’s Ashleigh Buhai is five shots behind the leader after a first-round 71 that included three birdies and two bogies, while countrywoman Paul Reto carded 74.
“This course is a favourite,” Kim said. “Keeping to the fairway is really important this week. The greens are really fast, way faster than in the practice round.”
The world No 33 has won 12 career LPGA Tour titles, including a Major at the 2020 Women’s PGA Championship, but last captured a crown at the 2020 Pelican Championship.
The Founders Cup celebrates the pioneers who began the LPGA Tour and Kim appreciates the chance to pay tribute to their legacy.
“It means a lot because of the legends, legacy players,” she said. “We had a chance to meet them at 18. Really glad to meet them. It’s good emotionally to share with them, so it’s really a special tournament to me.”
Ryu, a 22-year-old LPGA Tour rookie, is coming off a career-best showing with a share of sixth at Los Angeles.
“I had really low confidence at first,” she said. “After all the rounds, I’m getting more confidence and am really doing well I think.”
Ryu, ranked 45th, birdied four of the first seven holes but also made bogeys at the par-five 2nd and 9th and par-four 11th holes before unleashing her own run of four birdies in a row from 12 through 15.
“I was struggling a little bit, but then I got a birdie on the 12th and was in a good mood,” Ryu said of her birdie run. “I was a little bit worried when I started, because the fairway is really narrow, but I changed my mind … after that my score got better.”
© Agence France-Presse
