Corpuz leads the FM Championship: Three-way tie at TPC Boston with 65 strokes

In the FM Championship, Allisen Corpuz demonstrated patience and finally obtained positive results. She signed a card of 65 strokes, seven under par, to lead the first round alongside Sei Young Kim and Jodi Ewart Shadoff. Corpuz shone with four birdies in his last six holes at TPC Boston, including a ten-foot putt on the ninth hole. Kim, who played in calmer conditions in the morning, also achieved an outstanding performance. Shadoff finished his round in style, accumulating four consecutive birdies.

I made a lot of putts from over 20 feet, that definitely helps. And then, in the last four, good accuracy on the shot and some really good putts.

Jodi Ewart Shadoff

Nelly Korda, for her part, changed her putter to a blade type, which allowed her to record seven birdies and a result of 67 strokes in her debut on the TPC Boston course. Corpuz, with a victory at the U.S. Women’s Open at Pebble Beach two years ago, was looking to regain her best form. Although she had a promising start to the season, including a third-place finish at the Ford Championship, the results hadn’t held up.

I feel like golf is a very curious game. Although I haven’t gotten the results I wanted to see, I’ve felt like I’ve been very close all season. It was a good start to the season and I feel like things are starting to change a little bit.

Allisen Corpuz

Kim, who played in cooler conditions in the morning, managed several birdies on the par 5s. However, a par on the final hole prevented her from surpassing Corpuz. Jeeno Thitikul, who returned to the number one spot in the world ranking, suffered a setback on the 18th hole, resulting in a bogey and a card of 69. The LPGA season has been marked by two trends: a series of 22 consecutive tournaments with different winners and the absence of Korda’s victories. Korda, who is coming off a seven-win season in 2024, is in a group of players tied for third place, including Minjee Lee, Celine Boutier, Andrea Lee, and Gurleen Kaur. Korda explained that, after trying a new putter and grip, she found the necessary confidence to achieve good results.