Korean women’s golf signboard players occupied the top of the leaderboard in the first round of the Cognitive Founders Cup (total prize money of 3 million dollars) on the LPGA Tour.

In the first round of the tournament held at the Upper Monclair Country Club (par 72) in Clifton, New Jersey, USA on the 12th (Korean time), Kim Sei-young (30) recorded 6 birdies without bogey and recorded 6 under par 66 strokes.

Kim Se-young took the lead by one stroke, beating her tie-second runner-up Yoo Hae-ran (22) by one stroke.

After she won two victories in 2020, Kim Sei-young, who had not won a championship for more than two years, took the lead from the first round in this tournament and laid the foundation for her career record of 13 victories in two years and five months. She missed the fairway and green only twice each, and the number of putts was stable at 29.

She caught her birdie on the 3rd토토사이트 (par 3) and 6th hole (par 3) respectively, and Kim Sei-young caught her birdie on 4 consecutive holes from the 12th to the 15th, rising to the lead.

Kim Se-young said, “This course is lined with tall trees, so you need a really good tee shot. If you have a good tee shot, you can benefit from par 5 holes,” she said.

Kim Se-young has the experience of winning the 2016 JTBC Founders Cup, which was held in Arizona, not on this course at this time, with a score of 27 under par.

Yoo Hae-ran, who is playing as a rookie this season, tied 8 birdies and 3 bogeys to hit a 5 under par 67 and climbed to the sole second place chasing Kim Se-young by one stroke. Hae-Ran Yoo recorded 4 birdies and 3 bogeys until the 11th hole, reducing one stroke, but like Kim Se-young, she jumped to the top with four consecutive birdies from the 12th to the 15th hole.

Yoo Hae-ran also looked back, saying, “I was worried when the game started because the fairway was too narrow, but he decided to change his mind, and the game went well.”

Ko Jin-young (28) and Choi Hye-jin (24), who received the shocking report of being eliminated in the group stage at the LPGA Tour Team Event Hanwha Life Plus International Crown last week, played an active role in the first round, tied for third place with a 4 under par 68 strokes.

Ko Jin-young, who has won the tournament twice in 2019 and 2021, recorded 7 birdies, 1 bogey, and 1 double bogey, and Choi Hye-jin caught two eagles.

Ko Jin-young, who has been marching for four consecutive weeks, said, “It was a little difficult to concentrate on the game because I was tired.”

Ataya Titikkun (Thailand), who jointly won the International Crown last week, and Founders Cup defending champion Lee Min-ji (Australia) were tied for third place alongside Jinyoung Ko and Hyejin Choi.

Annalin (27), who is in her second year on the LPGA tour this year, followed with a 3-under-par 69 for 12th place.

This week, World No. 1 Nellie Corda (USA) and World No. 2 Lydia Ko (New Zealand), playing with Joe LaCaba, Tiger Woods’ caddy, tied for 45th with an even par 72.