Alison Lee leads LPGA KEB Hana Bank Championship after 1st round

By Kim Jeong-kyoo

Alison Lee fired a seven-under-par 65 with a sole bogey at the par-4 11th to head the scoreboard after the first round of the LPGA KEB Hana Bank Championship, Thursday.

The event is being played on the par-72, 6,364-yard Sky 72 Golf Club Ocean Course near Incheon International Airport. The competition is the sole LPGA Tour event taking place in Korea every year.

Lee, with a simple swing, had a good rhythm and tempo, plus balance. Impressively, she carried out a graceful chip shot at the final hole to make the putt for a birdie. Lee is the sole first round leader by three strokes.

Despite her little lapse of concentration in the middle of the game, Lee was an all-round player. She was great in her swings, short games and putts. She birdied her final two holes.

Last January, Golf.com introduced her under the title of “Most Beautiful Women in Golf 2016.” She is an ethnic Korean from America.

Lee’s second shot at the par-4 9th hole was the best shot of the day.

Korea’s Kim In-kyung fired a four-under-par 68, with her compatriot Cho Jeong-min, America’s Lizette Salas, Karine Icher from France and Sweden’s Anna Nordqvist.

Deserted by her swing, the world No. 1 Lydia Ko was struggling to finish her first round at a three-over-par 75. She had three birdies with four bogeys and one double bogey at the par-4 sixth hole.

Hot on their heels are Korea’s Ji Eun-hee, Australian Lee Min-jee, America’s Brittany Lang, Carlota Ciganda from Spain and Japan’s Haru Nomura at a three-under-par 69.

Defending champion Lexi Thompson hit a two-under-par 70, finishing the first round successfully. Chun In-gee and Park Sung-hyun hit an even-par 72. Canada’s Brooke M. Henderson hit a two-under-par 70. Thailand’s Ariya Jutanugarn hit a one-over-par 73.

Most favorites in the game including Ko, Chun and Jutanugarn fell short of the fans expectation.

Local golf fans here are on the edge of their seats, wondering if a Korean golfer can be the trophy winner. Equally interesting is to watch the world’s top players surmounting the difficulties and crises doomed to happen to them.

Last year, Thompson came from one stroke behind overnight leaders Park and Ko. In the final round, Thompson hit 69 to beat Park and Yani Tseng by one stroke. She lifted the winner’s trophy with an overall score of a 15-under-par 273. Yang Hee-young, also known as Amy Yang, birdied every hole on the back nine on the final day. This is a first in the history of the LPGA Tour.

Pak Se-ri held her retirement ceremony after the first round. Pak modeled herself on many Korean kids, creating a new word, “Se-ri kids.” At the ceremony, Pak told she would exert herself to help her juniors.

Kim Jeong-kyoo is The Korea Times golf columnist. He can be reached at kimjstar@hanmail.net.