BELMONT, Mich. — Mi Hyang Lee of South Korea performed a six-hole stretch in 6 beneath and shot an 8-under 64 on Thursday to take the first-round lead within the Meijer LPGA Traditional.
Grace Kim of Australia was a shot again, a yr after dropping to Lilia Vu in a playoff that additionally included 2015 champion Lexi Thompson.
Fellow Australian Karis Davidson, Akie Iwai of Japan and Sofia Garcia of Paraguay have been two strokes behind at 66 within the ultimate occasion earlier than the foremost KPMG Ladies’s PGA Championship subsequent week in Texas.
Solely three of the highest 10 on this planet are at Blythefield County Membership, with Haeran Ryu the highest-ranked participant at No. 5. She shot a 69 within the afternoon.
Taking part in within the morning on the tree-lined course, Lee birdied Nos. 5-8, parred the ninth and eagled the tenth after stunning herself by reaching the inexperienced in two on the par-5 gap.
“I didn’t anticipate I can hit the inexperienced there for my second shot,” Lee mentioned. “But it surely was an incredible line and good hit with the 3-wood and I made the inexperienced. It was virtually 24 ft, like right-to left-eagle putt. I didn’t anticipate to make it.”
The 32-year-old participant capped the bogey-free spherical with birdies on Nos. 14 and 17. She received the final of her two LPGA Tour titles in 2017.
“I missed solely two fairways,” Lee mentioned. “I believe that’s plenty of assist to hit the greens rather a lot, too.”
Kim chipped in for eagle on 10 and for birdie on 11 in her morning spherical.
“That was a very good begin to the again 9,” Kim mentioned. “Simply form of saved pars early after which loosened up as we went on. That was fairly good.”
She received the 2023 Lotte Championship for her lone tour title.
The 22-year-old Iwai made 5 birdies in a seven-hole stretch from the eighth to the 14th, then rebounded from a bogey on 17 with a birdie on 18.
Her twin sister, Chisato received in Mexico in Could for her first LPGA Tour title. Chisato Iwai opened with a 73.
Minjee Lee was at 67 with Caley McGinty, Ruixin Liu, Andrea Lee, Gabriela Ruffels and Jiwon Jeon. Andrea Lee was the one U.S. participant within the high 11.
Thompson shot a 68. Vu had a 77.
