[Evian] Lee Jeong-eun 6 Advances to Victory "Tied 3rd, 1 Stroke Behind"… Park In-bi Tied 56th at Even Par

4th Major Evian Championship Day 1: 5 Under Par, Noh Ye-rim and Anannarukan Tied for Lead, Ko Jin-young Tied 76th, Korda Tied 99th

Lee Jeong-eun 6 is taking her second shot on the 18th hole on the first day of the Amundi Evian Championship. Evian-les-Bains, France = Getty Images / Multivitz

[Asia Economy Reporter No Woo-rae] Lee Jeong-eun6 (25, Daebang Construction) is on a winning streak.

On the 23rd (Korean time), at the Evian Golf Club (par 71, 6,527 yards) in Evian-les-Bains, France, the fourth major of the LPGA Tour, the Amundi Evian Championship (total prize money $4.5 million), kicked off. On the first day, she shot 5-under par to tie for 3rd place. Noh Ye-rim (USA) and Pavarit Anannarukarn shared the lead at 6-under par 65, while Atthaya Thitikul (Thailand) and Ayaka Furue (Japan) joined the group tied for 3rd place.

Lee Jeong-eun6 recorded 7 birdies and 2 bogeys. Although she had a shaky bogey on the 1st hole (par 4), she made birdies on the 4th and 9th holes. In the back nine, after a birdie on the 11th hole and a bogey on the 13th hole (both par 4), she showed a fierce finishing kick with three consecutive birdies from the 14th to 16th holes and a final birdie on the 18th hole (par 5). Her precise shots, missing the fairway and green only once each, stood out. She is just one stroke behind the leader, aiming for her second career win since the 2019 US Women's Open two years ago.

Lee Jeong-eun6 debuted on the Korean Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) Tour in 2016 and won the Rookie of the Year award. In 2017, she won four times, becoming the 'Money Queen' and the first ever to claim six titles including most wins, Player of the Year, and lowest scoring average. In 2018, she achieved the feat of winning the 'Money Queen' title for the second consecutive year and topped the LPGA Tour Qualifying (Q) Series in November. The following year, she entered the US stage, capturing the US Women's Open and earning Rookie of the Year honors.

Last year, due to COVID-19, she stayed in Korea and joined the LPGA Tour late, playing only six tournaments. This year, she has three top-10 finishes in 14 tournaments without a win. However, she is on an upward trend with consecutive top-10 finishes, including 7th place at the Amundi Classic and tied 6th at the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational. "I scored well on a difficult course," she said, "I want to practice a lot over the next three days and play well."

Noh Ye-rim dominated the leaderboard with an eagle and five birdies (one bogey). The '18-year-old Thai prospect' Thitikul also showed flawless play with five birdies. Korea's 2014 champion Kim Hyo-joo (26, Lotte) is eyeing victory from tied 8th place, two strokes behind (4-under par 67). 2016 champion Jeon In-ji (27, KB Financial Group) is tied 11th (3-under par 68), and Yoo So-yeon (31, Mediheal) started comfortably tied 23rd (2-under par 69).

Park In-bee is taking a shot by the creek at the 18th hole on the first day of the Amundi Evian Championship. Evian-les-Bains, France=Getty Images/Multibits Photo by Multibits

On the other hand, Park In-bi (33, KB Financial Group), who is challenging for the 'Career Super Slam,' is tied 56th (even par 71). She was cruising at 2-under par through 17 holes but was hampered by a double bogey on the 18th hole. Kim Se-young (28, Mediheal) is also tied 56th. Defending champion Ko Jin-young (26) made 4 birdies but gave away 5 bogeys, finishing tied 76th (1-over par 72). Park Sung-hyun (28) and world No. 1 Nelly Korda (USA) struggled, tied 99th (3-over par 74).

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