Se-young Kim and Korda "Tied for Lead at 5 Under Par"... Inbee Park at 2 Under Par

On the First Day of the Final Major AIG Women's Open, Saso and Hole Tied for 4th Place at 1 Stroke Behind, Choi Woon-jung Tied for 22nd, Lee Jeong-eun 6 Tied for 41st

Kim Se-young is teeing off at the 15th hole on the first day of the AIG Women's Open. Carnoustie (Scotland) = Getty Images / Multibits

[Asia Economy Reporter No Woo-rae] World No. 4 Kim Se-young (28, Mediheal) is advancing toward a major championship victory.

On the 20th (Korean time), at the Scottish Carnoustie Golf Links (par 72, 6,850 yards), the first day of the final major of the 2021 LPGA Tour season, the AIG Women's Open (total prize money $4.5 million), she posted 5-under par to top the leaderboard. 'Number 1' Nelly Korda (USA) and Madelene Saxstr?m (Sweden) joined this group. 'US Women's Open Champion' Yuka Saso (Philippines) and 2018 champion Georgia Hall (England) are tied for 4th place (4-under par 68).

Kim Se-young made six birdies (one bogey). In the front nine, she created momentum with three consecutive birdies on holes 6 to 8, and on the back nine, she made 'two pairs of stepping-stone birdies' on holes 10, 12, and 14. However, a bogey on the 15th hole (par 4) was a blemish. She relied on her powerful long drives averaging 270 yards. Tied for the lead by one stroke, she seized the opportunity for her 13th career win, her first in nine months since the Pelican Women's Championship last November.

This year, she has played in 13 tournaments but has yet to win. She has entered the 'top 10' three times, with her best season result being a tie for 2nd at the Lotte Championship last April. At the Tokyo Olympics held on the 7th at Kasumigaseki Golf Club in Saitama Prefecture, Japan, she finished tied for 9th. Kim Se-young said, "I actually gained confidence after the Tokyo Olympics," adding, "Although the results were not good, I learned a lot," and explained, "I gained momentum for this tournament."

Nelly Korda is reading the putting line on the 8th hole on the first day of the AIG Women's Open. Carnoustie (Scotland) = Getty Images / Multibits

Tokyo Olympic gold medalist Korda recorded eight birdies and three bogeys. This is her second major win of the year and her fourth victory of the season, following the KPMG Women's PGA Championship in June. 'Golf Queen' Park In-bee (33, KB Financial Group) started tied for 11th (2-under par 70). Choi Woon-jung (31, Volvik) is tied for 22nd (1-under par 71), and Lee Jeong-eun 6 (25, Daebang Construction) is tied for 41st (even par 72). Defending champion Sophia Popov (Germany) is also in this group.

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