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2 Koreans sit 2 off opening-round lead at LPGA major in France

Published: 11 Jul. 2025, 09:08

Choi Hye-jin reacts after a shot at the ninth hole during the final round of the U.S. Women's Open golf tournament in Erin, Wisconsin on June 1. [REUTERS/YONHAP]

Less than two weeks after her maiden LPGA victory, Korean Lee So-mi has put herself in early contention for her first major title.

Lee shot a four-under 67 in the opening round of the Amundi Evian Championship at Evian Resort Golf Club in Evian-les-Bains, France, on Thursday (local time), to sit in a nine-way tie for seventh place, two strokes off the lead shared by five players.

Lee, 26, claimed her first LPGA win alongside countrywoman Im Jin-hee at the Dow Championship, a team competition, on June 29. Including that breakthrough victory, the 26-year-old tour sophomore has four top-10 finishes in her past five starts.

In the first round at Evian, Lee had four birdies, one eagle and two bogeys, while hitting 11 of 13 fairways and reaching 15 greens in regulation.

Another in-form Korean player, Choi Hye-jin, also shot a 67 on Thursday. Starting her round on the 10th hole, Choi shot an even 36 with a birdie and a bogey over her first nine holes, and then came home in 31 thanks to five birdies against one bogey.

Choi has had four consecutive top-10 finishes. Of her five top-10 showings this season, three have come at each of the season's first three majors.

Choi, 25, is winless since joining the LPGA Tour in 2022.

Lee So-mi walks on the 18th green during the final round of the Dow Championship 2025 at Midland Country Club in Midland, Michigan on June 29. [AFP/YONHAP]

Among other Koreans, rookie Yoon Ina shot a 68 to tie for 16th, while two former champions, Ko Jin-young (2019) and Chun In-gee (2016), each carded a 70 to tie for 33rd.

Hwang You-min, the lone Korea LPGA Tour member in the field, put up a 75 with one birdie and five bogeys. Ryu Hae-ran, the top Korean in the world rankings at No. 5, shot a 79 after making one birdie, five bogeys and two double bogeys.

Ryu, the 2023 LPGA Rookie of the Year, has struggled mightily since picking up her third career title at the Black Desert Championship in May. She has not finished inside the top 20 in five tournaments since and has broken 70 in only five of her 18 rounds.

The five co-leaders are: Andrea Lee and Jennifer Kupcho of the United States, Gabriela Ruffels and Grace Kim of Australia, and Leona Maguire of Ireland. Minjee Lee of Australia, who won the previous major, the KPMG Women's PGA Championship, in June, is alone in sixth place after shooting a 66.

The par-71 course played 6,298 yards in the first round and yielded a scoring average of 71.924, according to the LPGA. The champion will cash in $1.2 million.

Yonhap