Im chasing first LPGA title since last year's Dow Championship; Yang and Jang each card six birdies without a bogey

Im Jin-hee tees off on the fifth hole during the first round of the LPGA Tour's Walmart NW Arkansas Championship on Saturday. [AFP]
Im Jin-hee tees off on the fifth hole during the first round of the LPGA Tour's Walmart NW Arkansas Championship on Saturday. [AFP]

Im Jin-hee, Yang Hee-young and Jang Hyo-joon all opened the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship — an LPGA Tour event with a $3 million purse — in a share of third place Saturday.

Im carded eight birdies and two bogeys for a 6-under-par 65 at Pinnacle Country Club (par 71) in Rogers, Arkansas.

That left her two shots behind solo leader Nishimura Yuna of Japan, who shot 8-under 63. Im is making her latest bid for an LPGA Tour title since she and Lee So-mi teamed up to win the Dow Championship team event last June.

Im cruised through the front nine, picking up five birdies through the 11th hole before a stretch of trading birdies and bogeys slowed her. She closed strong, birdieing the par-3 17th and par-5 18th in succession to end the day on a high note.

"I made a very easy birdie on 18 and I want to carry that momentum into the weekend rounds," Im said. "My wedge shots were good today, and the greens were soft, which helped me post a low score."

Yang Hee-young adjusts her cap visor on the third hole during the first round of the LPGA Tour's Walmart NW Arkansas Championship on Saturday. [AFP]
Yang Hee-young adjusts her cap visor on the third hole during the first round of the LPGA Tour's Walmart NW Arkansas Championship on Saturday. [AFP]

Yang, a six-time LPGA Tour winner, also shot 65 with six birdies and no bogeys to join the three-way tie for third. She birdied the opening par-4 first hole, then parred the next eight before surging with five birdies on the back nine to climb the leaderboard.

"I needed a lot of patience going through those eight straight pars on the front nine," Yang said. "My back started to stiffen up a bit, but I stayed patient and kept playing."

Jang Hyo-joon, who made her LPGA Tour debut in 2023, matched Im and Yang with six birdies and no bogeys to join them in the tie for third.

Also sharing third are Celine Boutier of France, a seven-time LPGA Tour winner, and Charley Hull of England, a three-time winner on tour.

The tournament is contested over 54 holes across three rounds.


yjc@heraldcorp.com