Hyejin Choi 5 Under Par... 'Fresh Start'
Blue Bay LPGA 1R: Lee Minji Leads, 2-Shot Tied 5th; Ryu Ryuxin and Schmeltzel Tied 2nd; Park Heeyoung and Lydia Ko Tied 8th, Ji Eunhee 20th
Choi Hye-jin's fresh start.
On the 7th, at the Zen Lake Blue Bay Golf Course (par 72, 6,675 yards) in Hainan, China, Choi Hye-jin shot a 5-under 67 in the first round of the LPGA Tour's 'Asian Swing 3rd leg' Blue Bay LPGA (total prize money $2.2 million), placing her in a tie for 5th. Minjee Lee (Australia) topped the leaderboard with a 7-under 65. Liu Ruixin and Miranda Wang (both from China), along with Sarah Schmelzel (USA), are tied for 2nd at 6-under 66.
Choi Hye-jin made eight birdies and three bogeys. She was cruising with a 6-under over 15 holes but faltered in the last three holes with one birdie and two bogeys, which was regrettable. She missed the fairway only twice and recorded 26 putts. She is two strokes behind the leader, presenting a chance for her first LPGA Tour victory. Choi has participated in three tournaments this year and performed well with a tie for 3rd at last month's Honda LPGA Thailand.
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Minjee Lee showcased perfect play with seven birdies and no bogeys, powered by a greens-in-regulation rate of 94.44%. This marks her 11th career win on the U.S. stage. Lydia Ko (New Zealand), who needs one more win to enter the LPGA Tour Hall of Fame, is tied for 8th at 4-under 68. From Korea, Park Hee-young is tied for 8th, Ji Eun-hee and Anna Lin are tied for 20th at 2-under 70, and Kim Se-young and Sung Yu-jin are tied for 31st at 1-under 71.
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