After the morning wave finished its round, Haeran Ryu took the round one lead with a fantastic -6 64.
On a day where Pelican Golf Club was playing particularly tough, it was all systems firing for Ryu, the 24-year-old from Korea. She got off to a solid start with a couple birdies on 12 and 14, her third and fifth holes of the day. After a bogey on 17 set her back, Ryu’s round really kicked into gear with a phenomenal birdie on the diabolical 18th hole.
On her second nine, Ryu didn’t make any bogeys, but fired off four birdies in a row from hole four to hole seven.
Ryu, as is typically the case, was fantastic with her ball striking, hitting all 14 fairways and 15 greens in regulation. The greens are the biggest defense on the course, often small and very heavily sloped. She managed them well though, needing only 28 putts to get through her round.
The morning wave was slightly easier for conditions today, so there is a good chance Ryu’s score holds for the day. Madelene Sagström at the time of publishing is her closest chaser at -4.
Ryu is looking to become the third player on the LPGA Tour to win multiple events in 2025. Despite not being as consistent as she was in 2024, with only three top-10 finishes compared to 13, she is in solid form after a top-15 finish in Malaysia her last time out. If she were to go on and win, it would be her fourth victory on the LPGA Tour in three years.
