Paju, South Korea — Alison Lee, a Korean American golfer, had an outstanding performance at the BMW Ladies Championship in Paju, recording nine birdies for a nine-under 63 round on Thursday. Lee attributed part of her success to the Korean food she has been consuming during her stay.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Lee, who is a native of Los Angeles, stated that she enjoyed playing in Korea, the land of her parents’ birth. She said the Korean diet, including daily servings of kimchi, played a role in her bogey-free day. “I really like playing over here,” Lee said, adding that she felt a particular comfort and connection to the place.
Lee reported that she was so much in tune with the game that she wanted to continue on to the next round immediately, regardless of fatigue. She has previously played in South Korea, finishing 10th at last year’s BMW Ladies Championship on a different course, and ninth in another 2021 event. Lee is still in search of her first LPGA title at 28 and mentioned that putting had been her weak point over the last year.
Despite Lee’s strong performance, she was bested by Ashleigh Buhai of South Africa, who scored a bogey-free round of 62. Lee acknowledged the favorable conditions of the 6,680-yard course and noted that it would likely play differently each day, depending on pin placement.