A Lim Kim Ties for 3rd at 6 Under on Day One of Kroger Queen City Championship
Hataoka in 2nd, Hyejin Choi and Seyoung Kim Tied for 5th, Jeongeun Lee6 Tied for 11th
A-rim Kim is teeing off at the 13th hole on the first day of the Kroger Queen City Championship. Cincinnati, USA = Getty Images / Multivitz
[Asia Economy Reporter Seohee Lee] Kim Arim (27) is in high spirits.
On the 8th (local time), at the Kenwood Country Club Kendale Course (par 72, 6,515 yards) in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA, Kim Arim shot 6-under par on the first day of the newly established LPGA Tour event, the Kroger Queen City Championship (total prize money $1.75 million), placing her in a tie for 3rd. Lin Xiyu (China) leads with 8-under par 64, Nasa Hataoka (Japan) is 2nd with 7-under par 65, and Sarah Kemp (Australia) is tied for 3rd.
Kim Arim made seven birdies and one bogey. She started with a birdie on the 1st hole (par 4), followed by consecutive birdies on the 5th and 6th holes, and another birdie on the 9th hole (par 4), reducing her score by 4 strokes in the front nine. In the back nine, she gained momentum with three consecutive birdies from the 15th to the 17th holes but made a bogey on the final 18th hole (par 4), which was a slight blemish. She powered her game with an average driving distance of 288 yards and 27 precise putts. She is two strokes behind the leader and is aiming for her second career win, her first since winning the major US Women's Open in December 2020, after 1 year and 9 months.
Kim Arim is known for her long drives, a strength stemming from her tall stature of 175 cm. She debuted on the Korean LPGA (KLPGA) Tour in 2016 and held the longest driving distance title for three consecutive years in 2018 (259.18 yards), 2019 (262.53 yards), and 2020 (259.52 yards). On this day, players who utilized long drives generally ranked higher due to the wide fairways of the course.
Lin Xiyu made an impressive nine birdies and one bogey, setting a course record. She debuted on the LPGA Tour in 2014 but has yet to secure a win. She has entered the top 10 fifteen times in her career. Last week, she performed well with a tie for 7th at the Dana Open. Nasa Hataoka, who won the DIO Implant LA Open in April, is eyeing her second win of the season and seventh overall. Rookie leader Atthaya Thitikul (Thailand) is tied for 5th with 5-under par 67. Dana Open winner Gaby Lopez (Mexico) is tied for 11th with 4-under par 68.
From Korea, Kim Seyoung (29) recorded six birdies and one bogey, tying for 5th place along with rookie 2nd place Choi Hyejin (23). Lee Jeongeun6 (26) is tied for 11th, Kang Hyeji (32) is tied for 19th with 3-under par 69, and Anna Lin (26) and Shin Jieun (30) are tied for 31st with 2-under par 70. Kim Hyoju (27) finished tied for 64th with even par 72.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
