Haenam:World No. 3 Ryu Hae-ran positioned herself favorably in the opening round of the LPGA Tour event held in South Korea on Thursday. Competing in her home country, Ryu delivered a bogey-free round of five-under 67 during the BMW Ladies Championship at Pine Beach Golf Links in Haenam, located approximately 330 kilometers south of Seoul.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Ryu is tied for third place alongside three other players, trailing the two co-leaders, Karis Davidson from Australia and Yuri Yoshida from Japan, by just one stroke. Ryu's performance included three birdies on the front nine and two more on the back nine on the par-72 course, which measured 6,549 yards in the first round.
Ryu, who has secured two major victories earlier this season, stands as the highest-ranked player participating in the event this week. Kim Hyo-joo, ranked sixth globally, is part of a nine-way tie for eighth place after shooting a three-under 69. This group features English golfer Lottie Woad, ranked seventh worldwide, and South Korean veteran Amy Yang.
Defending champion Kim Sei-young finished with an even-par 72, placing her in a tie for 40th. Her round included a challenging start with three consecutive bogeys, but she recovered with birdies on the eighth, ninth, and 17th holes.
The tournament field also includes 15 players from the Korea LPGA (KLPGA) Tour. Among them, rookie sensation Kim Min-sol, who leads the domestic circuit in earnings this year, posted a two-under 70, tying for 18th place. The 20-year-old achieved five birdies against three bogeys. Seo Kyo-rim, another 20-year-old leading the KLPGA Tour in Player of the Year points, scored a round of 72 with five birdies and five bogeys.