Kim Hyoju Advances Toward 2nd Consecutive Win... "4-Under Par, Tied 3rd, 2 Strokes Behind"

Wongtayulap and Kinheolt Tied for Lead in Lotte Championship 1R
Seong Yujin Tied for 3rd, Yu Haeran and Park Geumgang Tied for 11th

Kim Hyo-joo is on her way to a second consecutive victory.

On the 12th (local time), Kim Hyo-joo shot a 4-under-par 68 in the first round of the LPGA Tour Lotte Championship (total prize money $2 million) held at Ohakalai Country Club (par 72, 6,303 yards) in Ewa Beach, Oahu, Hawaii, USA, placing her in a tie for 3rd. She shares this position with ‘KLPGA member’ Sung Yu-jin, Hataoka Nasa (Japan), and Bailey Tardy (USA). Natthakrit Wongtawiraphat (Thailand) and Frida Kinhult (Sweden) lead the leaderboard at 6-under-par 66.

Kim Hyo-joo is greeting by raising her hand to the applause of the gallery on the green of the 9th hole in the first round of the Lotte Championship. [Hawaii=AP·Yonhap News]

Kim Hyo-joo made eight birdies and four bogeys. In the front nine, she reduced her score by four strokes thanks to three consecutive birdies and two consecutive birdies. However, in the back nine, she exchanged two birdies for two bogeys. She missed the fairway three times and the green five times. Her total putts were 26. Last year, Kim Hyo-joo secured her fifth LPGA Tour win at this tournament. This year, she started the first day tied for 3rd, two strokes behind the leader, giving her a chance to win again after one year.

Shibuno Hinako (Japan) tied for 7th place (3-under-par 69), and rookies Yoo Hae-ran, Park Geum-gang, and Hwang Yu-min all started solidly, tied for 11th place (2-under-par 70). Brooke Henderson (Canada), winner of the season opener HGVTOC, Georgia Hall (England), and Park Sung-hyun are tied for 21st place (1-under-par 71), while Choi Hye-jin is tied for 38th place (even par 72). Drive On Championship winner C?line Boutier (France) is tied for 76th place (2-over-par 74), and Jeon In-ji is tied for 110th place (4-over-par 76).

This tournament did not feature the world’s top five players: No. 1 Lydia Ko (New Zealand), No. 2 Nelly Korda (USA), No. 3 Ko Jin-young, No. 4 Atthaya Thitikul (Thailand), and No. 5 Minjee Lee (Australia). Many top players skipped the event considering the schedule of the first major of the year, the Chevron Championship, which begins on the 20th.

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