Yoo Hae-ran's 4-under-par 'Rookie Power'... "Did you only see 4 birdies?"

Major Amundi Evian Championship 1R Tied 6th
Leto Leads, Lydia Ko and Alison Lee Tied 2nd
Park Minji 19th, Ko Jinyoung and Korda Tied 35th

This is Yu Hae-ran's 'Rookie Power.'

On the 27th (local time), at the Evian Resort Golf Club (par 71, 6,527 yards) in Evian-les-Bains, France, Yu Hae-ran posted a 4-under-par round to tie for 6th place in the first round of the fourth major of the 2023 LPGA Tour season, the Amundi Evian Championship (total prize money $6.5 million). Paula Reto (South Africa) leads with 7-under-par 64, while Lydia Ko (New Zealand) and Alison Lee (USA) are tied for 2nd at 5-under-par 66.

Yoo Hae-ran started fresh by shooting 4 under par in the first round of the major tournament Amundi Evian Championship, tying for 6th place.

Yu Hae-ran delivered a flawless performance with four birdies and no bogeys. After maintaining par through the first eight holes, she changed the momentum with her first birdie on the 9th hole (par 5). In the back nine, she birdied consecutively on the 11th and 12th holes and finished strong with a birdie on the final 18th hole (par 5). Her impressive average driving distance of 255 yards and a green hit rate of 88.89% showcased her pinpoint iron shots. She trails the leader by three strokes, presenting a great opportunity for her first LPGA Tour victory.

Yu Hae-ran was the 2020 Rookie of the Year on the Korean LPGA (KLPGA) Tour. After accumulating five wins through 2022, she topped the LPGA Tour Qualifying (Q) Series last winter to advance to the U.S. stage. This year, she has competed in 14 tournaments, finishing in the top 10 five times, including a third-place finish at last month's Mizuho Americas Open. She currently leads the Rookie of the Year points with 525 and ranks 12th in the money list with $902,204.

Paula Reto, who won the CP Women's Open last year, dominated the leaderboard with eight birdies and one bogey. World No. 3 and 2015 champion Lydia Ko is two strokes behind the leader. Veterans Ji Eun-hee, Kim A-lim, and Kim Su-ji joined the group tied for 6th place. 2021 champion Minjee Lee (Australia), domestic No. 1 Park Min-ji, rising star Rose Zhang (USA), and defending champion Brooke Henderson (Canada) are tied for 19th at 2-under-par 69. World No. 1 Ko Jin-young and No. 2 Nelly Korda (USA) finished the first round tied for 35th at 1-under-par 70.

World No. 8 and 2014 champion Kim Hyo-joo recorded four birdies, two bogeys, and one double bogey, finishing tied for 50th at even par 71. 2016 champion Jeon In-ji posted one birdie and two bogeys. Along with Shin Ji-ae, Choi Hye-jin, Park Sung-hyun, and Yang Hee-young, she is tied for 64th at 1-over-par 72, looking to climb the leaderboard. On the other hand, Kim Sei-young and Lee So-mi are tied for 108th at 4-over-par 75, and Lee Jeong-eun 6 finished tied for 124th at 7-over-par 78.

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