Ko Jin-young and Lee Jeong-eun 6 "Start Fresh at 1 Under Par"... Reed and Kane 'Tied for Lead at 4 Under Par'

As of 10:30 AM on the first day of the US Women's Open, Park In-bi is tied for 7th place with 1 over par after 15 holes, defending champion Kim A-rim is at 7 over par.

Ko Jin-young is teeing off at the 14th hole on the first day of the US Women's Open. San Francisco, California, USA - Photo by Getty Images/Multibits

[Asia Economy Reporter No Woo-rae] ‘Number 1’ Ko Jin-young (26) has made a fresh start.

On the 4th (Korean time), at The Olympic Golf Course in San Francisco, California, USA (par 71, 6,362 yards), the US Women’s Open (total prize money $5.5 million), known as the ‘National Title of the United States,’ began its journey. Ko Jin-young recorded 1-under par on the first day and is tied for 7th place as of 10:30 a.m. Leading the board at 4-under par are Brooke Henderson (Canada), Mel Reid (England), amateur Mega Kane, and Megan Kang, while Angel Yin (all from the USA) are positioned 5th at 3-under par 68.

Ko Jin-young made three birdies and two bogeys. Starting at the 10th hole, she recovered from a bogey on the 11th hole with a birdie on the 12th, then reduced one stroke on the 18th hole (both par 4). In the back nine, after a bogey on the 3rd hole, she secured a birdie on the 8th hole (both par 3), promising a strong next round. She is three strokes behind the leader, aiming for her 7th career win and 3rd major title, following the 2019 ANA Inspiration and Evian Championship, six months after her last victory at the CME Group Tour Championship in December last year.

Ko Jin-young is the player who secured a ‘direct ticket to the LPGA Tour’ by winning the KEB Hana Bank Championship held in Korea in 2017 as a non-member. The following February, she made a remarkable debut by winning the Australian Women’s Open, a first in 67 years, and earned the Rookie of the Year award. In 2019, she won four titles including two majors, becoming a quadruple crown winner, and last year, despite playing only four events, she topped the money list, earning the ‘Money Queen’ title for the second consecutive year.

She has held the world No. 1 ranking for nearly two years since July 2019. This year, although she has not won any of the seven tournaments she entered, she has shown consistency by finishing in the ‘top 10’ four times. Her best result this season was a tie for 3rd at the LA Open in April, and she ranks 10th in season earnings ($395,761). Ko Jin-young said, “The green approach and pin positions were somewhat difficult,” but added, “I am satisfied with the 1-under par score,” and expressed hope for good weather during her afternoon tee time tomorrow.

Lee Jeong-eun 6 (25, Daebang Construction), the 2019 champion, also reduced one stroke with four birdies and three bogeys, tying for 7th place. She said, “The weather was good, and I was able to keep the fairway a lot, so overall the game went well,” adding, “The course is definitely challenging because the fairways and greens are narrow and the rough is difficult.” Kane dominated the leaderboard with six birdies and two bogeys but was disappointed to share the lead after a bogey on the final 18th hole (par 4).

Lexi Thompson (USA) is tied for 7th, and Ariya Jutanugarn (Thailand) is tied for 16th (even par). Korea’s ‘Golf Queen’ Park In-bee (33, KB Financial Group) lost one stroke over 15 holes and is tied for 27th place (1-over par) along with Kim Hyo-joo (26, Lotte). ‘Number 3’ Kim Se-young (28, Mediheal) and 2011 champion Yoo So-yeon (31, Mediheal) are tied for 60th place (3-over par). Defending champion Kim A-lim (26, SBI Savings Bank) is struggling at tied 127th place (7-over par).

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