A pair of LPGA veterans are at the top of the South Korea leaderboard after the 1st round

Sei Young Kim, of South Korea, hits out of a sand trap on the 15th hole during the final round of the FM Championship LPGA golf tournament at TPC Boston, Sunday, Aug. 31, 2025, in Norton, Mass. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

HAENAM, South Korea — Two decade-long veterans on the LPGA Tour — 32-year-old Sei Young Kim and 34-year-old American Lindy Duncan — were among the leaders after the first round of the BMW Ladies Championship on Thursday.

Kim had eight birdies and an eagle for a 10-under 62 to top the leaderboard at the Pine Beach Golf Links. Duncan was two strokes behind after making birdies on three of her final five holes.

In between the pair was Hyo Joo Kim, who shot 63.

Sei Young Kim joined the LPGA Tour in 2015, a year after Duncan. The big difference is that Kim has 12 career LPGA victories, and Duncan none.

Kim moved to 9-under and the lead with a birdie on the par-3 15th hole.

“This is near my hometown, so I have lots of family, my cousins, a lot of fans,” Kim said. “So I had a great start from the first hole and all the way through 18th hole, getting a lot of support.”

Rio Takeda shot 65 and was in a group tied for fourth.

Canadian Brooke Henderson shot 67 while American Lucy Li, who had a hole-in-one on the par-3 13th and won a car, had a 68.

“It was a good number into the wind, I hit it right at the pin,” Li said of her ace. “Thought it might end up a little short but it went in. I just started freaking out. I was like, this is the hole-in-one hole. I’ve been complaining all week to my caddie about having not holed out this year.”

Hannah Green, who is the defending champion, started off with consecutive birdies but stalled throughout her round and finished with a 68, as did her compatriot Minjee Lee.

Green’s win here last year was her third of the 2024 season, making her the first Australian since Karrie Webb to win three times in a season on the LPGA.

Green’s recent finishes on the tour include a tie for 28th and a missed cut in Canada in August and a tie for 66th in Arkansas in September.

“My golf game hasn’t been quite where I would like it to be. The last few months has been kind probably the most hard time I’ve had in my career,” Green said ahead of the first round. “I was back in Australia for the last three weeks, so was able to reset.”

This is the first of consecutive tournaments in South Korea, with the International Crown team event scheduled for next week.

Jeeno Thitikul last week became the first multiple winner on the LPGA this season with a five-hole playoff win in Shanghai over Minami Katsu, who shot 68 Thursday in South Korea. Thitikul is not playing this week but will be part of Thailand’s team in the International Crown next week.

After the International Crown, two more LPGA events are scheduled on the five-event Asian swing — at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and in Japan.

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The Associated Press