'Solo Leader' Kim Sei-young, Flawless Play Without a Single Bogey... LPGA Tour FM Championship Day 1 'Best Start'

*This content was translated by AI.

It was the best start. Kim Sei-young (33) showcased flawless play without a single bogey on the first day of the LPGA Tour FM Championship (total purse $4.4 million).

On the 28th (Korean time), Kim posted an 8-under-par 64 in the tournament's first round at TPC Boston (par 72) in Norton, Massachusetts, USA, recording one eagle and six birdies without a bogey.

With this performance, Kim Sei-young moved to the top of the leaderboard, edging out Yamasita Miu (Japan) and Emily Pedersen (Denmark), who tied for second at 7-under-par 65, by one stroke.

Starting from the 10th hole, Kim Sei-young finished her warm-up with birdies on the front nine's 14th hole (par 4) and the 18th hole (par 5).

Her shot-making became even sharper in the back nine. After consecutive birdies on the 2nd hole (par 5) and 3rd hole (par 3), she secured back-to-back birdies on the 5th and 6th holes (both par 4). She then exploded with an eagle on the 7th hole (par 5), ending Day 1 in sole possession of first place.

Aiming for her first title since last October's BMW Ladies Championship, a span of nearly 10 months, Kim has maintained consistent shot-making this season, including six top-10 finishes such as third place at last week's CPKC Women's Open.

The strong performances by Korean players also stood out. Lee So-mi finished in sole fourth place with a 6-under-par 66, recording seven birdies and one bogey. The 2024 tournament's inaugural champions, Yoo Hae-ran and Kim Hyo-ju, both shot 4-under-par 68 to tie for fifth place.

Kim Ah-rim, Im Jin-hee, and Choi Woon-jung tied for 15th at 2-under-par 70. Lee Mi-hyang, Lee Dong-eun, and Ju Soobin tied for 24th at 1-under-par 71. Choi Hye-jin and Shin Ji-eun were ranked joint 39th with an even-par 72.

In contrast, Yoon Na-eun finished in joint 77th place at 2-over-par 74, Go Jin-young remained in 108th place at 4-over-par 76, and Yang Hee-young withdrew due to injury.

Meanwhile, Yamasita, who won last week's CPKC Women's Open, is closing in on Kim Sei-young and has started her bid for a back-to-back title. World No. 1 Nelly Korda (USA) and No. 2 Jin Teerapong (Thailand) both shot even-par 72 to remain tied for 39th place.

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.