Tied with Japan's Kato Minami; Nelly Korda two back in fourth, Yun I-na in fifth

Choi Hye-jin (right) embraces Nelly Korda of the United States on the 18th green after completing the first round of The ANNIKA Driven by Gainbridge at Pelican at Pelican Golf Club in Belleair, Florida, on Friday (Korean Standard Time). Choi carded nine birdies without a bogey for a 9-under 61, sharing the lead with Japan's Kato Minami, while Korda shot a 7-under 63 to sit in fourth place. [Getty Images]
Choi Hye-jin (right) embraces Nelly Korda of the United States on the 18th green after completing the first round of The ANNIKA Driven by Gainbridge at Pelican at Pelican Golf Club in Belleair, Florida, on Friday (Korean Standard Time). Choi carded nine birdies without a bogey for a 9-under 61, sharing the lead with Japan's Kato Minami, while Korda shot a 7-under 63 to sit in fourth place. [Getty Images]

Choi Hye-jin opened her bid for a first LPGA Tour victory with a bogey-free round at The ANNIKA Driven by Gainbridge at Pelican on Friday.

Playing at Pelican Golf Club in Belleair, Florida (par 70, 6,349 yards), Choi fired nine birdies to post a 9-under 61 in the first round of the $3.25 million event (Korean Standard Time).

Choi shares the lead with Japan's Kato Minami, who matched her score. Lindy Duncan of the United States sits one stroke back in third at 8-under 62.

Starting on the first hole (par 4), Choi made her first birdie on the second hole, then strung together back-to-back birdies on Nos. 6 and 7. She added another on the par-3 ninth to turn at 4 under. She was even sharper on the back nine, reeling off four consecutive birdies from Nos. 12 through 15 to surge into contention, then closed with a birdie on the par-4 18th to complete her 9-under round.

Choi missed only two fairways and one green all day, needing just 27 putts. After the round, she said the Bermuda grass in Florida typically gives her trouble with her ball-striking. "On this course, it's hard to make par if you miss the green," she said. "Today I hit most of my greens, and that's what allowed me to play bogey-free."

Choi joined the LPGA Tour in 2022 but has yet to claim her first win, though her recent form has been sharply on the rise. She finished runner-up at the Buick LPGA Shanghai last month, then tied for second at the BMW Ladies Championship and tied for ninth at the Maybank Championship. "My first-round scores have been good at recent tournaments," she said. "There are still three rounds to go, so I'll just keep doing what I've been doing."

Yun I-na plays her shot on the 17th hole during the first round of The ANNIKA Driven by Gainbridge at Pelican at Pelican Golf Club in Belleair, Florida, on Friday (Korean Standard Time). [Getty Images]
Yun I-na plays her shot on the 17th hole during the first round of The ANNIKA Driven by Gainbridge at Pelican at Pelican Golf Club in Belleair, Florida, on Friday (Korean Standard Time). [Getty Images]

Duncan's 8-under 62 included a hole-in-one on the par-3 third hole (160 yards) using a 6-iron. Allison Corpuz of the United States also aced the same hole with the same club. Corpuz finished at 3-under 67, tied for 31st.

World No. 1 Nelly Korda, a three-time champion of this event, returned from a two-month absence to card seven birdies without a bogey, posting a 7-under 63 to sit in fourth place.

Yun I-na is tied for fifth at 6-under 64. Kim A-rim, Lee Jeong-eun and Kang Min-ji are all tied for 20th at 4-under 66, while Ryu Hae-ran and Ko Jin-young are tied for 31st at 3-under 67.


yjc@heraldcorp.com