Former champ Kim in six-way tie for US Women's Open lead

New Straits Times

6 days ago

CHICAGO: Former champion Kim A-lim fired six birdies in a four-under-par 68 to headline a group of six players tied atop a log-jammed leaderboard after the first round of the 80th US Women's Open on Thursday.
Fellow South Korean Im Jin-hee, Japan's Rio Takeda, Americans Yealimi Noh and Angel Yin and Spanish LPGA rookie Julia Lopez Ramirez shared the lead, one stroke in front of a group of five players tied on three-under-par 69.
Another seven players were two adrift, but Kim said she wouldn't expend her energy worrying about who might be in striking distance.
"Honestly, I'm not thinking about (the) leaderboard because my job is process, not result," said Kim, who won the 2020 US Open in her major championship debut.
"Next three days, I play the same thing as today: focus on my line, hit it. That's all."
With little wind, Erin Hills, the rolling 6,829-yard par-72 layout in Erin, Wisconsin, offered perhaps its most benign face for the first round of the first US Women's Open to be held there.
Noh, who holed out for an eagle at the 14th and birdied the par-five 18th, called it a "good scoring day."
But plenty of marquee names were unable to join the 33 players to shoot under par.
World number one Nelly Korda was playing catchup after a bogey at the third, finally getting to even par 72 with a birdie at the par-five 18th.
Defending champion Yuka Saso's bid for a third US Open title in five seasons got off to a rocky start with a two-over-par 74.
World number two Jeeno Thitikul of Tailand opened with a three-over 75 while third-ranked Lydia Ko of New Zealand – whose resume includes three major titles but no US Open – posted a one-over 73.
"I think I'm happy with it," Korda said. "Obviously, I wish the ball found the bottom of the cup a little bit more.
"First day of the US Open, it's all about patience. I'm striking it pretty well, so hopefully I can carry that into the next couple days."
While Korda struggled to get things going, Kim opened with back-to-back birdies at the 10th and 11th.
After a bogey at the 12th she added birdies at 16 and 17 and took the solo lead at five-under with birdie bombs at the first and third before giving a stroke back at the sixth.
Takeda had three birdies and one bogey on each side while Im opened with nine straight pars and had all four of her birdies in a five-hole span from the 10th through the 14th.
Lopez Ramirez was also bogey-free, an impressive performance for the 22-year-old who came through qualifying to book her first US Open appearance.
"Honestly it's been my first bogey-free round since I turned pro, so it's quite exciting," said the Spaniard, whose season was disrupted by an appendectomy in March.
Lopez Ramirez and Yin were among the afternoon starters, Yin shaking off an early bogey with five birdies – including three in a row at eight, nine and 10 – before a setback at 17.
In the right rough off the tee she came up short of the green, then saw her third shot spin off into a collection area, from where she managed to salvage a bogey.
"This is what this course can do," said Yin, who regained a share of the lead with a birdie at the last.