Lotte Championship First Day: Leading by 1 Stroke
1 Eagle, 6 Birdies, 2 Bogeys Recorded
"Started Off Well. It Was an Enjoyable Day"
‘Eagle on the first hole’.
Kim Arim is teeing off at the 10th hole during the first round of the Lotte Championship. Photo by Daehong Communications
‘Long hitter’ Kim Ah-rim made a strong impression in Hawaii. On the 6th (local time) at Hoakalei Country Club (par 72, 6,356 yards) on Oahu Island, Hawaii, USA, during the first round of the LPGA Tour Lotte Championship (total prize money $3 million), she recorded 1 eagle, 6 birdies, and 2 bogeys to take the top spot on the leaderboard with 6-under 66. Jen Bai-yun (Taiwan), Bianca Pagdanganan (Philippines), Liu Ruixin (China), Pauline Roussin-Bouchard (Germany), and Perrine Delacour (France) are tied for second place at 5-under 67.
Kim Ah-rim’s eagle on the first hole (par 5) stood out. Following ‘stepping stone birdies’ on holes 3 and 5, she added a birdie on the 9th hole (par 3), lowering her score by 5 strokes in the front nine. In the back nine, she exchanged 2 birdies and 2 bogeys over 8 holes, struggling to reduce her score further, but secured a birdie on the final 18th hole (par 5) to finish the first round in the lead. Her average driving distance was 262 yards. She missed the green 4 times. This marks her second LPGA Tour win opportunity since her victory at the 2020 US Women’s Open.
Kim Ah-rim said, "Starting on a par 5 hole and making an eagle gave me a really good start," adding, "I lowered my score by 6 strokes today and had a great first day. It was an enjoyable day." She only used her putter 26 times. She stated, "I will focus on putting speed control and wedge play in the remaining rounds."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
