Se-Young Kim Shines in Haenam with 10-Under 62

Leads After First Round of BMW Ladies Championship
Chance for First LPGA Tour Victory in Five Years
Three Top-10 Finishes in Last Five Tournaments

Kim Se-Young has seized an opportunity to win for the first time in five years.

On October 16, at Pine Beach Golf Links (par 72, 6,785 yards) in Haenam-gun, Jeollanam-do, Kim played the first round of the BMW Ladies Championship on the LPGA Tour (total prize money: 2.3 million dollars). She carded one eagle and eight birdies without a single bogey. With a 10-under-par 62 on the opening day, she surged to the top of the leaderboard, leading by two strokes.

Se-Young Kim is smiling brightly after making a birdie on the 15th hole of the first round at the BMW Ladies Championship. Photo by BMW Ladies Championship Organizing Committee

Kim Se-Young also broke the course record (8-under-par 64) set by Hong Soon-Sang during the third round of the KPGA Tour Solaseado-Pine Beach Open in August 2013. However, since this tournament applied a preferred lie rule-allowing players to lift, clean, and place the ball within one club length on the wet fairways-the score is not officially recognized as a course record.

Kim quickly moved into contention with a birdie on the first hole (par 4) and an eagle on the sixth hole (par 5). Riding this momentum, she made three consecutive birdies on holes 7 to 9. On the back nine, she added birdies on the 11th, 13th, and 15th holes, and finished her round with another stroke gained on the final 18th hole (par 4). This performance puts her in position to contend for a win for the first time since the Pelican Championship in November 2020.

Since debuting on the LPGA Tour in 2015, Kim Se-Young has accumulated a total of 12 victories. After winning twice in 2020, she struggled to contend for titles, but showed signs of resurgence last year with one runner-up finish and three third-place finishes. This year, she has continued her upward trend, finishing third three times since June. In her last five tournaments, she has placed in the top 10 three times.