'Smile Earring Wearing' Choi Hye-jin... 'Smiled After a Long Time'

Dayna Leads with 7-Under Par on Opening Day
Recent Evian Championship Ties for 7th, Showing Upward Momentum
Linsiwi and Ashok Chase in 2nd Place, One Stroke Behind

Choi Hye-jin has been frequently wearing 'smile earrings' this year. It is to change her mood.

Choi Hye-jin is teeing off at the 5th hole on the first day of the Dana Open.
[Selvania (USA)=AFP·Yonhap News]

She is a strong player with a total of 9 wins on the Korea Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) Tour and has won the Player of the Year award for three consecutive years, but she has struggled somewhat on the American stage. Since joining the U.S. Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Tour in 2022, she has yet to secure a victory. Her best results are 15 top-10 finishes. This year, she has been having a difficult season as her shot accuracy has declined. Since early this year, she has been determined to enjoy tournaments by wearing smile earrings, but it has not been easy.

Choi Hye-jin, who had a face full of worries, smiled brightly for the first time in a while. On the 18th (local time) at the Dana Open held at Highland Meadows GC (par 71, 6,555 yards) in Sylvania, Ohio, USA, she shot a 7-under-par 64 in the first round and took the top spot on the leaderboard. Lin Xiyu (China) and Aditi Ashok (India) are in a close chase, tied for second place at 6-under-par 65, just one stroke behind.

Choi Hye-jin boasted a perfect play with 7 birdies and no bogeys. She showed her tenacity with consecutive birdies on holes 1 and 2, a birdie on hole 5 (par 4), and again consecutive birdies on holes 8 and 9. She then maintained par for seven holes before finishing strong with consecutive birdies on holes 17 and 18. Her putting count for the round was an outstanding 25. This marks a clear upward trend since her tie for 7th place at last week's major, the Amundi Evian Championship. Leading by one stroke, she has laid the foundation for her first LPGA Tour victory.