Kim Hyo-joo [AFP]
Kim Hyo-joo [AFP]

Kim Hyo-joo opened her LPGA Tour CPKC Women's Open campaign tied for 21st at the tournament, which carries a purse of $7.5 million.

Playing Friday at Royal Mayfair Golf Club (par 70) in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, Kim carded four birdies and two bogeys for a 2-under-par 68 in the first round.

Kim, chasing her third win of the season, finished six strokes behind Japan's Yamashita Miyu, who surged to the top of the leaderboard with an 8-under-par 62.

Yamashita, a three-time winner on tour, posted a bogey-free round with eight birdies to make a strong opening bid for her second win of the season. Japan's Hataoka Nasa sat one stroke back in second after firing a 7-under-par 63.

Kim started on the 10th hole (par 4) and made her first bogey on the 14th (par 4), but bounced back with a birdie on the 17th (par 3) to turn at even par. She then reeled off three consecutive birdies on holes 6 through 8 before dropping a shot on the 9th (par 4) to close out the round.

Kim Se-young, Lee Jeong-eun (born 1996), Lee Dong-eun and Jo Su-bin all carded 2-under-par 68s to join Kim Hyo-joo in a tie for 21st.

World No. 1 Nelly Korda of the United States shot a 3-under-par 67 to share 14th place with defending champion Brooke Henderson of Canada.


yjc@heraldcorp.com