Korean Players Missing from the Top of the LPGA Leaderboard

[Mayhill Championship R1] Arim Kim, Unjung Choi, Hyeji Kang Tied 17th, 5 Shots Behind Leader
Hyejin Choi and Soyeon Yoo Struggle at Tied 89th with 3 Over Par

Arim Kim tied for 17th place with a 3-under-par 69 on the first day of the LPGA Mediheal Championship. She is 5 strokes behind the leader.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Taewon] The slump of Korean players in the U.S. Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Tour continues. No Korean players were seen in the top ranks on the first day of the Mediheal Championship (total prize money $1.8 million).

On the 6th (local time), at the LPGA Tour Mediheal Championship 1st round held at Saticoy Club (par 72, 6,635 yards) in Somis near Los Angeles, California, Kim Arim (27), Choi Woonjung (32), and Kang Hyeji (32) recorded 3-under-par 69, tied for 17th place. This is the highest ranking among Korean players. The gap with Jodi Ewart Shadoff (England, 64 strokes), who shot 8-under-par 64 and took the solo lead in the first round, is 5 strokes.

Other Korean players who recorded under-par scores include Kim Seyoung (29) and Ji Eunhee (36), both 2-under-par 70, and Lee Jeongeun (26) and Lee Miyang (29), both 1-under-par 71.

Choi Hyejin (23, 1,161 points), who is chasing Atthaya Thitikul (Thailand, 1,369 points) for the Rookie of the Year, struggled with 3-over-par 75, tied for 89th place. Yoo Soyoung (32) also fell to the lower ranks on the first day with the same score as Choi Hyejin.

Allison Lee (USA) and Lyu Xin Liu (China) formed a tie for 2nd place with 6-under-par 66, chasing the leader by two strokes. Thitikul was tied for 4th place with Danielle Kang (USA) and Paula Reto (South Africa) at 5-under-par 67.

Korean players have not reported a win in 11 consecutive tournaments since Jeon Inji (28) won the KPMG Women's PGA Championship in June. The last time a Korean player failed to win more than 10 consecutive tournaments on the LPGA Tour was over eight years ago, from October 2013 to June 2014, spanning 17 consecutive tournaments.