Mi Hyang Lee cards 64; field flourishes at Meijer LPGA Classic
SOUTH KOREA's Mi Hyang Lee carded an 8-under round of 64 on Thursday and owns a one-stroke lead over Australia's Grace Kim after one round of the Meijer LPGA Classic in Belmont, Mich.
Twenty-three golfers are within four strokes of Lee on the par-72 layout at Blythefield Country Club.
After parring the first four holes during her morning round, Lee needed only 11 strokes to birdie holes 5-8. After turning in 32, she eagled the par-5 10th hole, reaching the green in two and sinking a tough 24-footer.
"I didn't expect I can hit the green there for my second shot," Lee said. "But it was a great line and good hit with the 3-wood and I made the green. It was almost 24 feet, like right-to left-eagle putt. I didn't expect to make it."
She birdied 14 and 17 in a bogey-free 64 and played the four par-5 holes in -4.
Lee missed the cut in last weekend's U.S. Open and the 32-year old Seoul native's best finish was a tie for sixth at the Ford Championships in late March.
"I missed only two fairways," Lee said. "I think that's a lot of help to hit the greens a lot, too."
Kim also eagled the 10th and played holes 7-14 in 6-under par.
Paraguay's Sofia Garcia, Australia's Karis Davidson and Japan's Akie Iwai were two strokes back at 6 under. Six players, including Andrea Lee, the lone American in the top 11, carded 5-under 67s.
"It was a solid round overall," said Lee, a Los Angeles native. "I really wasn't expecting anything coming into today because I had a pretty bad cold last week and I'm still getting over it. ... Just played really solid golf, hit some good shots, made decent amount of putts."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
5 hours ago
- The Star
Tennis-Zverev sets up Stuttgart semi-final with impressive Shelton, Fritz also through
FILE PHOTO: Jun 4, 2025; Paris, FR; Alexander Zverev of Germany during his match against Novak Djokovic of Serbia on day 11 at Roland Garros Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Susan Mullane-Imagn Images/File Photo (Reuters) -Top seed and home favourite Alexander Zverev beat Brandon Nakashima 7-5 6-4 to advance to the semi-finals of the Stuttgart Open on Friday while Americans Taylor Fritz and Ben Shelton also reached the last four. Zverev is seeking his first grasscourt title and he was involved in a tight opening set which was tied at 5-5 when the German switched gears in the final two games to clinch it. But Zverev was far more dominant against his American opponent in the second set as he finished the match with 31 winners in a contest that lasted 90 minutes. "I'm in the semi-finals now and now I really want to focus on trying to do the best I can," Zverev said. "I know the opponents are going to get tougher but I'm really happy on the court right now I'm really happy in Stuttgart and I'm looking forward to the next two days." Zverev will play third seed Shelton next after the American, who was virtually unstoppable on his first serve, beat Jiri Lehecka 6-4 6-4, firing 18 aces. Shelton was so dominant in the second set that he did not lose a single point on serve while he won 100% of his first-serve points in the match, with victory ensuring he will break into the top 10 for the first time in his career. Marton Fucsovics had beaten Fritz in straight sets in Stuttgart two years ago but this time the American, who has yet to drop a set at the tournament, came out on top in a dominant 6-3 6-4 victory. Although Fritz was involved in some long baseline rallies, he relied on his serve, sending 12 aces past the Hungarian to set up a semi-final clash with Felix Auger-Aliassime, who beat the 17-year-old German Justin Engel 7-6(3) 6-3. Engel had claimed his first professional victory on grass earlier this week when he beat James Duckworth, following it up with an upset win over seventh seed Alex Michelsen, but beating Auger-Aliassime proved to be a step too far for the teenager. "His serve was so incredibly good today that I felt pressure in my own service games," Engel said. "But it was great fun playing in front of this crowd again. I can't wait to play here again next year." (Reporting by Rohith Nair in BengaluruEditing by Toby Davis)
The Star
6 hours ago
- The Star
Motor racing-NASCAR brings American thunder to Mexico City in expansion drive
FILE PHOTO: May 24, 2025; Concord, North Carolina, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Daniel Suarez (99) during qualifying at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images/File Photo (Reuters) -The throaty roar of NASCAR Cup Series engines will reverberate through the Valley of Mexico this weekend, marking a bold international gambit for America's beloved motorsport as it races beyond its traditional borders. The ambitious cross-border event required substantial logistical efforts to bring the entire racing circus down south, amid recent protests in Los Angeles and complex U.S.-Mexico relations as well as stricter border controls under President Donald Trump's administration. For Daniel Suarez, who carries the hopes of a nation as one of only three Mexicans ever to reach NASCAR's premier division, the Mexico City race transforms him from competitor to cultural ambassador. "It's a great privilege to represent all Mexico. This isn't just another race on the calendar," Suarez told Reuters. "I'm very fortunate not only for my country, but for the whole Latin America region. It's not pressure as I love it, this is more like motivation, to go race in front of my people." The cultural collision is set to be a striking one. NASCAR brings its distinctly blue-collar heritage, born when Prohibition-era bootleggers modified cars to outrun the authorities, to a nation where racing fans have traditionally embraced Formula One's technical sophistication through local hero and former driver Sergio "Checo" Perez. However, NASCAR's arrival illuminates potential pathways for emerging talents like Regina Sivient, who recently made history as the first Mexican woman competing in the ARCA Menards Series, the minor, semi-professional stock car racing league that provides a pathway into NASCAR's three national touring series. "The most important thing about NASCAR coming to Mexico is that it gives us exposure," Sivient told Reuters. "When we saw Checo Perez in F1, being in the spotlight meant many Mexicans got to know him, that we drivers supported him, and that he received sponsorship from brands. In the end, as athletes that's what we want and what the sport needs to grow". As engines prepare to roar, the question is not whether NASCAR can follow the NBA and NFL in establishing Mexican footholds, but how quickly the quintessentially American motorsport might transform itself from curious novelty to beloved fixture in Mexico's sporting identity. (Reporting by Angelica Medina in Mexico City; Editing by Ken Ferris)
The Star
9 hours ago
- The Star
Golf-Scheffler sets out early with hopes of moving into U.S. Open contention
Jun 12, 2025; Oakmont, Pennsylvania, USA; Scottie Scheffler plays his shot from the tenth tee during the first round of the U.S. Open golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images OAKMONT, Pennsylvania (Reuters) -Pre-tournament favourite Scottie Scheffler headed out early in the U.S. Open second round on Friday hoping to play his way into contention at Oakmont Country Club, where overnight leader J.J. Spaun was scheduled to go out with the late starters. World number one Scheffler, who came into the year's third major with three wins in his last four starts, opened with a three-over-par 73 that was his worst first-round score relative to par of his majors career. That left Scheffler in a share of 49th place, seven shots behind surprise leader Spaun and facing a stern challenge as he has never come back from outside the top 30 at the end of the first round to win an official PGA Tour event. In the opening round, the brilliant Spaun fired a four-under 66 that was the day's only bogey-free round, and the unheralded American will try to build on his hot start when he heads out from the first tee at 12:52 p.m. ET (1652 GMT). South African Thriston Lawrence, who trails by one shot, will go out at 2:20 p.m. from the 10th tee. Five-times major winner Brooks Koepka, one of 14 LIV Golf players in the field, also went out early and started his day two shots off the pace and in a three-way share of third place with South Koreans Kim Si-woo and Im Sung-jae. Spaniard Jon Rahm, part of a group that finished the opening round three shots back of Spaun, also started early from the 10th tee. Holder Bryson DeChambeau and Masters champion Rory McIlroy, who both struggled in the opening round, have afternoon tee times. (Reporting by Frank Pingue; Editing by Ken Ferris)
