4th Place on Day One at KPMG Women's PGA Championship
Thompson Leads, Korda and Tawatthanakit Tied for 2nd
Kim Hyoju 15th, Ko Jinyoung and Lee Jeongeun6 Tied for 22nd
Yang Hee-young kept the flame alive for her bid to compete in the Paris Olympics.
Yang Hee-young is teeing off at the 12th hole during the first round of the KPMG Women's PGA Championship. [Sammamish, USA=AFP·Yonhap News]
On the 20th (local time), at the Sahalee Country Club (Par 72, 6,754 yards) in Sammamish, Washington, USA, the first round of the KPMG Women's PGA Championship, the third major tournament of the year on the LPGA Tour with a total prize of $10.4 million, took place. Yang shot 2-under-par 70, tying for 4th place alongside C?line Boutier (France) and Charley Hull (England).
Ranked 25th in the world, Yang Hee-young is aiming for a late surge in this tournament. The players who will represent women's golf at the Paris Olympics will be determined based on the world rankings as of the 24th. Players ranked within the top 15 can have up to four representatives from one country. Below that ranking, the quota is limited to two players per country. South Korea currently has only Ko Jin-young (7th) and Kim Hyo-joo (12th) within the top 15. Winning this tournament would dramatically secure Yang's Olympic ticket.
Yang recorded three birdies and one bogey. After making a birdie on the first hole she played, the 10th hole (Par 4), she followed with nine consecutive pars. Then, with back-to-back birdies on holes 2 and 3, she jumped up the leaderboard before making a bogey on the 4th hole (Par 4). Her precise shots were evident as she missed the fairway only four times and the green just twice. However, her putting was somewhat disappointing with 32 putts. She trails the leader by two strokes and has a chance to claim her sixth career victory, her first in seven months since the CME Group Tour Championship last November.
Since Yang Hee-young's victory last year, South Korea has not won any of the 15 tournaments held. This marks the longest 'win drought since the season opener' in 24 years, dating back to 2000. In a post-round interview, Yang said, "Thanks to my driver working really well, I created many good opportunities to attack the greens and pins." She added, "I've been adjusting my swing this season, and finally, I feel comfortable. This also connects with the way I played today."
Lexi Thompson (USA), who announced her retirement at the end of this season, took the top spot on the leaderboard with 4-under-par 68. World No. 1 Nelly Korda (USA), who has won six times this year, is tied for 2nd place with Patty Tavatanakit (Thailand) at 3-under-par 69, engaged in a chase. Defending champion Inbee Park (China) is tied for 15th at 1-under-par 71. Among Koreans, Kim Hyo-joo is tied for 15th, Ko Jin-young and Lee Jeong-eun 6 are tied for 22nd at even par 72, and Sung Yu-jin is tied for 36th at 1-over-par 73. World No. 24 Shin Ji-ae finished tied for 70th at 3-over-par 75.
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