Park In-bee's Winning March "6 Birdies Without a Bogey"... Kim Hyo-joo '2nd Place, 1 Stroke Behind'

Kia Classic First Day Leader, Jeon In-ji Tied 3rd, Ko Jin-young Tied 17th, Defending Champ Hataoka Tied 134th

Park In-bee is teeing off at the 10th hole on the first day of the Kia Classic. Carlsbad, California, USA = Getty Images / Multibits

[Asia Economy Reporter No Woo-rae] Golf queen Park In-bee (33, KB Financial Group) is advancing toward victory.

On the 26th (Korean time), at the Aviara Golf Club in Carlsbad, California, USA (par 72, 6,609 yards), the first day of the 4th round of the 2021 LPGA Tour Kia Classic (total prize money $1.8 million) saw Park shoot 6 under par to dominate the top of the leaderboard. Kim Hyo-joo (26, Lotte) is in 2nd place (5 under par, 67 strokes), while Sophia Popov (Germany), Mel Reid, and Stephanie Meadow (both England) are tied for 3rd place (4 under par, 68 strokes), pursuing the lead.

Park In-bee showcased flawless play with six birdies and no bogeys. She started fresh with a birdie on the 3rd hole (par 3), followed by consecutive birdies on the 9th and 10th holes, and exciting 'stepping stone birdies' on the 12th and 14th holes. She added another birdie on the 17th hole (par 5), securing a good feeling heading into the next round. She missed the fairway and green only three times each, and had 27 putts during the round. Making her first start of the year, she leads by one stroke, capturing a chance for her 21st career win.

From Korea, Kim Hyo-joo reduced five strokes with eight birdies and three bogeys. Jeon In-ji (27, KB Financial Group), who has entered the 'top 10' in three consecutive tournaments, continued her upward momentum tied for 3rd place, and Yang Hee-young (32, Woori Financial Group) is performing well in a tie for 7th place (3 under par, 69 strokes). World No. 1 Ko Jin-young (26) lowered her score by one stroke with two birdies and one bogey. 2018 champion Ji Eun-hee (35), Shin Ji-eun (29, both Hanwha Q CELLS), and Hur Mi-jung (32, Daebang Construction) are tied for 17th place (1 under par, 71 strokes).

‘Number 2’ Kim Se-young (28, Mediheal) exchanged three birdies for three bogeys, remaining tied for 29th place (even par, 72 strokes). Park Sung-hyun (28) and Yoo So-yeon (31, Mediheal) are tied for 66th place (2 over par, 74 strokes), Lee Jeong-eun 6 (25, Daebang Construction) and 2017 champion Lee Mi-rim (31, NH Investment & Securities) are tied for 83rd place (3 over par, 75 strokes), and US Women’s Open champion Kim A-rim (26, SBI Savings Bank) is struggling tied for 126th place (6 over par, 78 strokes). Defending champion Hataoka Nasa (Japan) is tied for 134th place (7 over par, 79 strokes).

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.