LA Open: After the first round of the DIO Implant LA Open, Mi Hyang Lee, playing in her first LPGA Tour tournament of the year, played a six-under 65 to maintain a one-stroke lead.
The South Korean, who qualified for a tournament on Monday, completed all 18 greens in regulation, avoided making any bogeys, and finished with a birdie on the long par-4 18th hole at Palos Verdes. With temperatures in the 40s, players had to endure intermittent rain and hail.
On Thursday, Lee turned 30. He referred to it as “the best birthday round I’ve ever had.”
Lee, who is now ranked 378th in the world, has won twice on the LPGA Tour. Her most recent triumph came in 2017 at the Ladies Scottish Open. She struggled the previous three years but finished runner-up at the ANA Inspiration, a major, in 2019 to reach a career-best 31st in the rankings. She recently finished in a tie for sixth place in an Epson Tour competition.
Both Megan Khang and Lee’s close friend Hyo Joo Kim shot 66 to tie for second place. Nasa Hataoka, the defending champion, Lucy Li, and Maude-Aimee Leblanc are tied for second place with a further shot back.
Khang, who hasn’t won on the LPGA Tour in eight years, said, “You know, I’ve gotten very close here and there.”
“I tell myself that the more chances and possibilities I offer myself, the simpler it will be to handle those circumstances and try to get my foot in the door.
“I know I can accomplish it, it’s only a matter of time you say.”
Second-ranked Nelly Korda and her sister Jessica are in a group that is three strokes back of the lead at three under and also features Charley Hull of England.
The Palos Verdes Championship, which was won by Marina Alex, who shot a one-over 72 on Thursday, was held there last year. This is the fifth LA Open tournament to be played there.
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