Sei Young Kim leads the BMW Ladies Championship in South Korea

Sei Young Kim and Lindy Duncan lead the BMW Ladies Championship

HAENAM, South Korea – LPGA Tour veterans Sei Young Kim and Lindy Duncan stood out in the first round of the BMW Ladies Championship. Sei Young Kim, 32, signed a card of 62 strokes, ten under par, with eight birdies and an eagle, leading the leaderboard at Pine Beach Golf Links. Duncan, 34, was two strokes behind, thanks to birdies on three of his last five holes. Hyo Joo Kim was placed between Kim and Duncan, with a round of 63 strokes. Sei Young Kim, who joined the LPGA Tour in 2015, a year after Duncan, has 12 career wins on the circuit, while Duncan has yet to achieve any. Kim went to 9 under par and led with a birdie on the 15th hole.

This event is near my hometown, so I have a lot of family, my cousins, and many fans. I had a great start from the first hole and throughout the 18, receiving a lot of support.

Sei Young Kim

Rio Takeda shot a 65 and was in a tie for fourth place. Brooke Henderson of Canada, signed a 67, while Lucy Li of the United States, who made a hole-in-one on the 13th hole and won a car, obtained a 68. Instagram post description: Lucy Li’s Hole-in-One

It was a good shot into the wind. I hit it right at the pin. I thought it might be a little short, but it went in. I started freaking out. I thought, this is the hole-in-one. I’ve been complaining all week to my caddie about not making one this year.

Lucy Li

Hannah Green, the defending champion, started with consecutive birdies, but stalled and finished with a 68, just like the Australian Minjee Lee. Green’s victory last year was her third of the 2024 season, making her the first Australian player since Karrie Webb to win three times in a season on the LPGA Tour. Green’s recent tour results include a tie for 28th place and a missed cut in Canada in August and a tie for 66th place in Arkansas in September.

My golf game hasn’t been where I’d like it to be. The last few months have probably been the most difficult time I’ve had in my career. I was in Australia for the last three weeks, so I was able to reset.

Hannah Green

This is the first of two consecutive tournaments in South Korea, with the International Crown team event scheduled for next week. Jeeno Thitikul became the first multiple winner on the LPGA Tour this season with a five-hole playoff victory in Shanghai over Minami Katsu, who shot a 68 on Thursday in South Korea. Thitikul is not playing this week, but will be part of the Thailand team at the International Crown next week. After the International Crown, two more LPGA events are scheduled on the five-event Asian tour in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and in Japan.