Yan Liu of China. (Photo by Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)
American Auston Kim surged to the top of a star-studded leaderboard after opening with a six-under 66 at the HSBC Women’s World Championship on Thursday. The 25-year-old holds a one-shot advantage over China’s Yan Liu (67) after mastering the demanding par-72 Tanjong Course at Sentosa Golf Club, producing a round highlighted by seven birdies and a lone bogey.
Five players share third place on four-under 68 including Sweden’s Linn Grant, Japan’s Miyu Yamashita, England’s Mimi Rhodes, Korea’s Haeran Ryu and American Lindy Duncan. Singapore’s Chen Xingtong, making her third appearance after progressing through the national qualifier, led the home charge with a 70 to sit tied 14th.
Kim credited her strong ball-striking and resilience for the low score. “I hit a lot of good shots today, and then every single time I hit a bad one, I was able to recover,” she said.
“I made three really big par saves today, so that kind of pulled my round together to go super low. Overall, I’ve hit a lot of good shots, and every single time I hit a bad one, I was able to recover.”
On taking the early lead, Kim expressed satisfaction with her day’s work while keeping perspective. “I mean, mission accomplished today. I feel like I won the day today,” she said.
“But there are still three more rounds. I really enjoyed playing today. I had a lot of fun, and I felt like I stuck to my process really well. So it’s just three more days of golf and try my best and try to win each day.”
Kim also highlighted improvements in her mental game since last year, including work with a mental coach. “There are a lot of things that I’ve changed and a lot of things I feel like I’m doing better,” she explained.
“Today was a testament to what we’ve been working on, and I’m working hard on what I can control. Obviously, one of the things that we talked about this past week was trying to win each day, win each shot, and I feel like I did a really good job of it.”
Liu, making her tournament debut, impressed with a steady performance featuring seven birdies and two bogeys to stay firmly in the hunt for a first LPGA title. “It’s my first time here, and during the practice rounds I felt the course was very challenging. So today I stayed fully focused and committed to every shot, and that was the most important thing for me,” she said.
Despite dropping two shots, she managed to keep her composure. “The first bogey was a three-putt – the green is huge, so it’s very easy. The second bogey was the tee shot; I missed the fairway and had a very deep lie.”
Ryu, a three-time LPGA winner seeking another title in Singapore, mixed five birdies with a single bogey. “I’m usually a slow starter, so I just tried to enjoy the round and keep working hard on my swing and shot control. Today I hit the ball well, and I’m really happy with how my swing feels,” said the 24-year-old.
Mimi Rhodes of England. (Photo by Kate McShane/Getty Images)
Rhodes, competing on a sponsor’s invitation, showed she could match the game’s elite. “It shows me that even my ‘B’ game can compete here, and when I bring my ‘A’ game, I can really challenge the best players. That’s something I’ve dreamed about since turning professional,” she said.
Teenager Chen credited experience for her confident showing before home fans. “This is my third time here, so I handled it much better. I’m more used to the adrenaline from the crowds and feel I’ve matured a lot as a player over the past few years. That has given me much more confidence,” said the 17-year-old.
Defending champion Lydia Ko of New Zealand carded a solid two-under 70, highlighted by five birdies, one bogey, and one double-bogey, keeping her well within striking distance as the tournament heads into the second round.
