Gayoung Lee and Dabin Heo "Tied for Lead at 5 Under Par"... Heejeong Lim 'Tied for 3rd, 2 Strokes Behind'

On the First Day of the High1 Resort Women's Open, Park Minji and Oh Jihyun Tied for 9th at 2 Under Par, Park Hyunkyung and Lee Somi Tied for 22nd at 1 Under Par

Lee Gayoung is teeing off at the 10th hole on the first day of the Kookmin Shelter High1 Resort Women's Open. Photo by KLPGA

[Asia Economy Reporter No Woo-rae] Lee Ga-young (22, NH Investment & Securities) has made a refreshing start.

On the 19th, at High1 Golf Club (par 72, 6,511 yards) in Jeongseon-gun, Gangwon Province, during the first day of the KLPGA Tour Kookmin Shelter High1 Resort Women's Open (total prize money 800 million KRW), she posted a 5-under-par, placing her at the top of the leaderboard. Heo Da-bin (23, Samil Pharmaceutical) is also in this group. Six players, including 2019 champion Lim Hee-jeong (21, Korea Land & Trust), Cho Ah-yeon (21, Dongbu Construction), and Jung Seul-gi (26, Huons), are tied for third place (3-under-par 69) and are in pursuit.

Lee Ga-young showcased flawless play with five birdies and no bogeys. She made birdies on the first hole she played, the 10th hole (par 4), and the 14th hole (par 3), reducing two strokes in the front nine. In the back nine, she created momentum with consecutive birdies on holes 1 and 2, and another birdie on the 8th hole (par 3). Leading jointly by two strokes, she laid the foundation for her first career victory. Although she has entered the top 10 five times this year, she has yet to win. Her best season result was runner-up at last month’s McCol·Monapark Open.

"I always felt regret at the end," said Lee Ga-young. "The score difference with the winner was not big," she added, "I am waiting for my victory." She continued, "I envy friends who have won first," but also said, "I believe everyone has their own time and periods when things go well." Six-time winner Park Min-ji (23, NH Investment & Securities), Jeju Samdasoo Open champion Oh Ji-hyun (25, KB Financial Group), and In Ju-yeon (24, Samchully) all started comfortably, tied for 9th place (2-under-par 70).

Heeyoung Park (left) and Jooyoung Park sisters are smiling brightly at the 10th hole on the first day of the Kookmin Shelter High1 Resort Women's Open. Photo by KLPGA

Second in prize money, Park Hyun-kyung (21, Korea Land & Trust), and two-time winner Lee So-mi (22, SBI Savings Bank) are tied for 22nd place (1-under-par 71). The 'LPGA members' Park Hee-young (34, Isu Group) and Park Joo-young (31, Dongbu Construction), who played their first-ever sister round on the KLPGA Tour, are tied for 28th place (even par 72). Third in prize money, Jang Ha-na (29, BC Card) is tied for 41st place (1-over-par 73), and Choi Hye-jin (22, Lotte) is tied for 57th place (2-over-par 74).

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