Kim Sei-young finished one stroke off the lead in sole second place on the opening day of the tournament. [AP]
Kim Sei-young finished one stroke off the lead in sole second place on the opening day of the tournament. [AP]

Kim Sei-young sits one stroke off the lead in sole second place after the opening round of the 81st US Women's Open.

Kim carded a 4-under-par 67 — five birdies against one bogey — at Riviera Country Club (par 71) in Pacific Palisades, California, on Friday. She trails American Jennifer Kupcho, who leads at 5-under-par 66, by a single stroke.

Starting on the 10th hole, Kim opened with back-to-back birdies on Nos. 10 and 11. She dropped a shot at the par-3 4th, missing a 1.5-meter par putt, but bounced back with three consecutive birdies on Nos. 6 through 8 to finish the day four under. At the par-3 6th she holed a 3-meter birdie putt, then at the par-4 7th she stuck her approach to within a hand's width of the pin for a tap-in birdie. She capped the run at the par-4 8th with an 8.8-meter birdie putt, then showed equally sharp touch on the final 9th, draining a putt of similar length to save par.

Speaking to reporters after her round, Kim said the course tested her at every hole. "The course was extremely demanding overall — every hole felt like a personal exam," she said. "But I'm satisfied and happy that I was able to play solidly throughout the day."

Kim added that the US Women's Open demands a different mindset from regular tour events. "The pressure and course setup here are on a different level," she said. "The practice rounds I played here last week gave me a solid foundation for the stable round I had today. There are still three long days and many rounds to go, so I'll keep my composure and approach the rest of the tournament with the same positive attitude."

Other South Korean players also made strong starts. Yoo Hyun-jo, last year's KLPGA Tour Player of the Year, picked up four birdies through the 17th hole before a three-putt bogey on the par-4 18th left her at 3-under-par.

"The strategy of minimizing bogeys paid off," Yoo said. "Rather than attacking aggressively just because it's a major, I plan to keep playing the percentages and targeting greens safely."

Yun Yi-na, singled out as a player to watch before the tournament began, carded five birdies and two bogeys for a 3-under-par 68 to join Yoo in a tie for third. "I was a bit nervous early on because of the firm, fast greens you only get at a major, but my ball-striking felt good and I was able to take advantage of my chances," Yun said. "Riviera is a course where mistakes are costly, so I'll stay focused on every shot."

Veteran Shin Ji-yae opened at 2-under-par 69, joining 2022 champion Minjee Lee of Australia, China's Yin Ruoning, Thailand's Patty Tavatanakit and Japan's Nasa Hataoka in a tie for eighth. Choi Hye-jin shot 1-under-par 70 to share 14th place with American Rose Zhang.

Jeon In-ji, Kim Ah-rim, Lee So-mi and Lee Da-yeon each carded even-par 71 to sit in a tie for 29th.

World No. 1 Nelly Korda of the United States shot 2-over-par 73 to tie for 56th alongside Thailand's Jeeno Thitikul, England's Charley Hull and Kim Min-sol. Playing in the same group as Korda, Kim Hyo-joo shot 3-over-par 74 to share 85th place with New Zealand's Lydia Ko, France's Celine Boutier, Hwang Yu-min, Lim Jin-hee and national team member Oh Su-min.

Former world No. 1s Ko Jin-young and Park Sung-hyun both shot 4-over-par 75 to open the tournament in a tie for 104th.


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