9-Under Par in Black Desert Championship First Round
Chance for Third Win Since FM Championship Last September
Ariya Jutanugarn and Hsu Wei-Ling Tied for Second, One Stroke Behind
Yoo HaeRan has seized an opportunity to win for the first time in eight months.
Yoo HaeRan is smiling on the green of the 9th hole in the first round of the Black Desert Championship. Irvine, USA - Photo by AFP Yonhap News
On May 1 (local time), at the Black Desert Resort Golf Course (par 72, 6,629 yards) in Ivins, Utah, USA, Yoo HaeRan took the lead by carding a 9-under-par 63 in the first round of the LPGA Tour Black Desert Championship, which has a total prize fund of $3 million. Ariya Jutanugarn (Thailand) and Hsu Wei-Ling (Taiwan) are tied for second place, one stroke behind, both with 8-under-par 64.
Yoo HaeRan made nine birdies without a single bogey. She posted a fairway accuracy rate of 92.9% and a greens-in-regulation rate of 94.4%, demonstrating outstanding performance. She finished just one stroke shy of her career-low 18-hole score of 62 since joining the LPGA Tour. She said, "The course is not particularly narrow, but there are a lot of rocks, so I paid extra attention to keeping my shots on the fairway," and added, "Overall, I'm very satisfied with today's results."
Jeon JiWon and Joo SooBin are tied for fourth place with 7-under-par 65. Lee SoMi finished the first round tied for 10th with a 6-under-par 66. Kim HyoJoo, who finished runner-up in a playoff at last week's Chevron Championship, had a steady start, tying for 16th with a 5-under-par 67.
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