Sei Young Kim Leads the BMW Ladies Championship with an Impressive Round
HAENAM, South Korea – South Korean veteran golfer Sei Young Kim, along with American Lindy Duncan, positioned themselves at the forefront after the first day of the BMW Ladies Championship. Kim, at 32 years old, signed a card of 62 strokes, ten under par, thanks to eight birdies and an eagle, leading the leaderboard at the Pine Beach Golf Links. Duncan, for his part, was two strokes away, highlighting with birdies in three of the last five holes. Between both golfers, Hyo Joo Kim was placed, who completed the round with 63 strokes. Sei Young Kim, who debuted on the LPGA Tour in 2015, has an impressive record of 12 career professional wins, unlike Duncan. Kim consolidated his lead by reaching nine under par, thanks to a birdie on the 15th hole, a par 3.Rio Takeda shot a round of 65 strokes, placing him in a group sharing fourth place. Brooke Henderson, from Canada, signed a card of 67 strokes, while American Lucy Li, who achieved a hole-in-one on the 13th hole, finished with 68.“This competition is held near my hometown, so I have a lot of family and fan support,” Kim commented. “I had a great start from the first hole, feeling the encouragement of the public throughout the round.”
Sei Young Kim
The current champion, Hannah Green, started with consecutive birdies, but her performance declined, finishing with 68 strokes, as did the Australian Minjee Lee. Green’s victory last year was her third of the 2024 season, making her the first Australian since Karrie Webb to win three times in an LPGA Tour season. Green’s recent results on the circuit include a tie for 28th place and an elimination in Canada in August, and a tie for 66th place in Arkansas in September.“It was a good shot, with the wind at my back. I aimed straight at the pin,” Li stated about her hole-in-one. “I thought it would be a little short, but it went in. I started freaking out. I thought, this is the hole for a hole-in-one. I’ve been complaining all week to my caddie about not getting one this year.”
Lucy Li
This competition marks the beginning of two consecutive tournaments in South Korea, with the International Crown team event scheduled for next week. Jeeno Thitikul, last week, became the first multiple winner of the LPGA Tour this season, after defeating Minami Katsu in a playoff in Shanghai. Katsu achieved a round of 68 strokes in South Korea. Thitikul is not participating in this competition, but will be part of the Thailand team in the International Crown next week. After the International Crown, two more LPGA events will be held in Malaysia and Japan, as part of the five-tournament Asian tour.“My game hasn’t been where I’d like it to be. The last few months have probably been the most difficult of my career,” Green commented before the first round. “I was in Australia for the last three weeks, which allowed me to reset.”
Hannah Green
