"Number 1" Ko Jin-young's Infinite Run "7 Under Par Lead"... Choi Hye-jin Tied 3rd, 2 Strokes Behind

2022 Season Round 6 JTBC Classic Day 1: Masen 2nd, Lydia Ko 6th, Danielle Kang 11th, Defending Champ Park In-bee 42nd

Ko Jin-young is teeing off at the 2nd hole on the first day of the JTBC Classic. Carlsbad, USA = Getty Images / Multibits

[Asia Economy Reporter No Woo-rae] World No. 1 Ko Jin-young (27) is on an unstoppable run.

On the 25th (Korean time), at the Aviara Golf Club in Carlsbad, California, USA (par 72, 6,609 yards), the 6th event of the 2022 LPGA Tour season, the JTBC Classic (total prize money $1.5 million), kicked off. Ko Jin-young shot 7-under par on the first day to top the leaderboard. Nanna Madsen (Denmark) is in 2nd place (6-under par 66), and three players including rookie Choi Hye-jin (23, Lotte) are tied for 3rd place (5-under par 67) in pursuit.

Ko Jin-young boasted a perfect play with 7 birdies and no bogeys. Starting at the 10th hole (par 5), she made 'two pairs of stepping stone' birdies at the 12th, 14th, and 16th holes. In the back nine, after a birdie at the 5th hole (par 5), she showed a fierce finishing power with three consecutive birdies from the 7th to 9th holes. She powered her game with a fairway hit rate of 78.57% and a greens in regulation rate of 94.44%. This marks her second win of the season and 14th career victory since winning the HSBC Women's World Championship on the 6th of last month.

Ko Jin-young is the undisputed 'Number 1' dominating the world women's golf scene. She claimed victory in her first outing this year since the CME Group Tour Championship, the final event of the 2021 season last November. She has won an impressive 6 out of the last 10 tournaments, and nearly half of her 13 career wins were achieved within the last 8 months since July last year. Today, she also showcased her peak form, extending her LPGA Tour record to 16 consecutive rounds in the 60s and 31 consecutive rounds under par.

"I tried to shoot in the 60s again today," said Ko Jin-young. "I made much better putts than expected on the very tricky greens," she added, expressing joy at extending her records step by step. 'Honda Champ' Madsen recorded one eagle and five birdies (one bogey), aiming for her second consecutive win. Lydia Ko (New Zealand) is tied for 6th place (4-under par 68), and the season opener champion Danielle Kang (USA) is tied for 11th place (3-under par 69), looking to climb the leaderboard.

Park In-bee is teeing off at the 2nd hole on the first day of the JTBC Classic. Carlsbad, USA = Getty Images / Multibits

Korea's Anna Lin (26, Mediheal), the top seed qualifier, and Jeon In-ji (28, KB Financial Group) joined the group tied for 11th place. Lee Jeong-eun 6 (26, Daebang Construction) and Ji Eun-hee (36, Hanwha Q CELLS) are tied for 27th place (2-under par 70). Defending champion Park In-bee (34, KB Financial Group) recorded two birdies and one bogey, tied for 42nd place (1-under par 71). KLPGA member Lim Hee-jeong (22, Korea Land & Trust) played as an invited player and finished tied for 87th place (1-over par 73).

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