Southampton, NY – Ha-Neul Kim patented a 66-year-old player Thursday to take the lead in 1 goal late in the first round of the United States Open.
Kim, who only participates in her third LPGA event this season and performs at her first US Open, is a seven-time KLPGA Tour winner.
This is my first time at the US Open and I don’t think so, Kim said through a translator.
Inbee Park ranks second after 5 under 67s at Sebonack Golf Club. Park wants to be the second player to win the best three tournaments of the season after winning titles in the Kraft Nabisco Championship and the Wegmans LPGA Championship.
I.K. Kim and Caroline Hedwall tied their last hole to join MyWegmansConnect Anna Nordqvist and Lizette Salas for third place in four years.
Paz EcheverrÃa and Maude-Aimee LeBlanc share the seventh place at 3 years old.
The lap
Ha-Neul Kim entered the field with one of the last groups and completed his first three holes before a birdie rolled on day 13.
He arrived at the curve 2 minutes after another MyWegmansConnect bird on day 18 and twice in a row the first day.
He added the fourth and sixth wins to put Park on top of the 5-cent rating. Kim took the lead on day 8 with her sixth bird of the day and finished the round without a bogey with a pair.
Park started at nine and started a birdie before taking another opportunity at 14.
After the next four holes stopped to make the 2-sous curve, the world’s number 1 started its inner nine with three birds on a 4-hole course from the first to the smallest of 5.
He fell on a Bogeyman in the sixth to drop to less than 4, but bounced off a bird in the eighth and closed with a pair to take the lead to the club.
I think we almost had a perfect goal this morning, Park said. I mean, I played a lot shorter than the training rounds, so I was able to go in with a little more iron and attack the pins a little bit, and today I’ve dedicated a lot of options and putts.
Hedwall also started in the last nine and followed a bird on 11 with 11, with three straight wins on 13, at least 4.
Bogeyman, 16, stopped rocking but recovered with a bird at 17.
Hedwall then played a few shots in the first and third before the birds on his back reduced them to 4 minutes in the fourth and fifth.