Korean female golfers performed evenly on the first day of Honda LPGA Thailand, the second event of the LPGA tour season.

In the first round of the tournament, which ended on the 23rd at the Siam Country Club Pattaya Old Course (par 72) in Chonburi, Thailand, most of the Korean players completed 18 holes without difficulty. Shin Ji-eun (31) tied for 6th in 6 under par with 6 birdies without a bogey, and rose to the highest rank among Korean players. In addition, Kim Hyo-joo was tied for 9th place at 5 under par, and Ko Jin-young and Anna Lin were tied for 17th place at 4 under par. There is not much difference from the co-leading group (7 under par) with 5 players including Jennifer Cupcho (USA) and Hataoka Nasa (Japan).

In Korean women’s golf, since Jeon In-ji won the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship last June, there has been no LPGA Tour victory in 17 consecutive tournaments. The rise in performance of golfers from competing countries such as Lydia Ko메이저놀이터 (New Zealand) and Ataya Titikkun (Thailand) had a significant impact on the formation of the Spring and Autumn Period. So, the players spent the season with their own determination. Ko Jin-young refined his shots in Vietnam during the winter season, and Kim Hyo-joo prepared for the new season in Thailand, which he used as a training ground every year.

Since the 2016 tournament, Honda LPGA Thailand has averaged 22.8 under par for the winner. A match can be overturned at any time in a round. Therefore, it is important to narrow the gap with the leader on the first day. Players who played well on the first day also showed a remarkable appearance in the game index. Shin Ji-eun only made 26 putts that day. Kim Hyo-joo missed her fairway only once, and the green hit rate was good at 77.78% (14/18). Ko Jin-young also missed the green hit rate of 77.78% and the fairway only twice.

Choi Hye-jin, who is in her 2nd year on the LPGA, Ji Eun-hee, the “eldest sister”, and Kim Se-young, who is aiming for the championship in three seasons, tied for 28th at 3 under par. Yang Hee-young, who won the tournament three times in her career, and Chun In-ji, who is aiming for their first LPGA championship in eight months, started the first day with a 1-under par for 48th place. JTBC Golf will broadcast the second round of this tournament live from 11:45 am on the 24th.