Choi Woon-jung and Ko Da Sharevron Championship 1R Tied 2nd
Kim Hyo-joo and Lee Min-ji 2 Under Par, Lydia Ko 1 Under Par
Ko Jin-young and Cupcho Even Par, Jeon In-ji 6 Over Par Struggles
It is the strength of "Iron Woman" Choi Woon-jung.
On the 20th (local time), Choi Woon-jung posted a 4-under-par 68 in the first round of the Chevron Championship, the first major of the 2023 LPGA Tour season, held at The Club at Carlton Woods Jack Nicklaus Signature Course (par 72, 6,824 yards) in Houston, Texas, USA, placing her in a tie for second. Chen Peiyun (Taiwan) surprisingly took the lead with a 5-under-par 67.
Choi Woon-jung is teeing off at the 11th hole in the first round of the Chevron Championship major. [Houston, USA=Photo by AFP·Yonhap News]
Choi Woon-jung made five birdies and one bogey. After a bogey on the 11th hole (par 4), she recovered with a birdie on the 13th hole (par 5), then successfully made "stepping stone birdies" on the 16th and 18th holes. In the back nine, she added two more birdies on the 5th hole (par 4) and the 8th hole (par 5), propelling her into the upper ranks. She missed the fairway only twice and had an outstanding 25 putts. She is just one stroke behind the leader.
Choi Woon-jung is known for her meticulous self-management. In 2014, she became the first Korean to receive the "Sportsmanship Award" selected by tour players, and in 2015 at the Marathon Classic, she succeeded in "156 attempts, 157th time," breaking her winless streak. Since then, she has not won. In December 2021, she married a judge four years her senior. This year, she has participated in four tournaments, making the cut in all, with her best finish being a tie for 23rd at last month's Drive On Championship.
Chen Peiyun swept up six birdies and one bogey to dominate the top of the leaderboard. She debuted on the LPGA Tour in 2017 but has yet to win. Ranked 189th in the world, she has entered the top 10 six times in her career. World No. 2 Nelly Korda, Honda Thailand champion Lilia Vu, Marina Alex (all USA), and Ayaka Furue (Japan) formed the group tied for second.
Minjee Lee (Australia) started brightly, tied for ninth at 2-under-par 70. Hataoka Nasa (Japan), Georgia Hall (England), and Atthaya Thitikul (Thailand) are also in this group. World No. 1 Lydia Ko (New Zealand) and the opening event winner Brooke Henderson (Canada) are tied for 23rd at 1-under-par 71. Defending champion Jennifer Kupcho (USA) is tied for 37th at even par 72, eyeing a consecutive win.
Korea started steadily with Kim Hyo-joo and Ji Eun-hee tied for ninth, and Choi Hye-jin, Yoo Hae-ran, and Kim A-rim tied for 23rd. Ko Jin-young, world No. 2 and HSBC Women's World Championship winner, exchanged two birdies for two bogeys and is tied for 37th. Jeon In-ji's pursuit of a "career Grand Slam" has become difficult. Jeon In-ji is tied for 122nd at 6-over-par 78, facing the risk of missing the cut.
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