Kim SeYoung Cards Seven Birdies... 'Perfect Play'

Corpuz and Shadoff Share Lead After First Round of FM Championship
Chance for Kim SeYoung's 13th Career Win, First Since 2020
Korda and Minjee Lee Tied for Fifth, Yoo HaeRan in 19th

Kim SeYoung has laid the foundation for a victory.

On August 28 (local time), at Boston TPC (par 72, 6,533 yards) in Norton, Massachusetts, USA, Kim shot a 7-under-par 65 in the first round of the FM Championship on the LPGA Tour (total prize money of 4.1 million dollars), climbing to the top of the leaderboard. Allison Corpuz (USA) and Jodi Ewart Shadoff (England) joined her as co-leaders, just one stroke behind.

SeYoung Kim is walking on the green of the 18th hole during the first round of the FM Championship. Norton, USA ? AP·Yonhap News Photo by AP

She collected seven birdies without a single bogey. She carded birdies on holes 2 and 4, and another on the par-5 7th hole, reducing three strokes on the front nine. On the back nine, she made two pairs of consecutive birdies on holes 12-13 and 15-16. She missed the fairway and the green only twice each. She made 27 putts. Sharing the lead by one stroke, she now has a chance to claim her 13th career victory, five years after her last win at the Pelican Women's Championship in November 2020.

Kim SeYoung has shown a clear recovery this year. She has participated in 15 tournaments, made the cut 11 times, and finished in the top 10 on five occasions. In her last five tournaments, she has placed in the top 10 three times. Her best results this season are third place finishes at both the ShopRite LPGA Classic and the ISPS Handa Scottish Women's Open.

The world's top-ranked players have taken the upper spots on the leaderboard, signaling a fierce battle for the title. Miranda Wang (China) is in fourth place at 6-under-par 66, while eight players-including world No. 2 Nelly Korda, Andrea Lee (both USA), Minjee Lee (Australia), and Celine Boutier (France)-are tied for fifth at 5-under-par 67. Among Korean players, Lim Jinhee and Lee Mirim are tied for 13th at 4-under-par 68, and defending champion Yoo HaeRan is tied for 19th at 3-under-par 69.