By: Max Bechtoldt
The first round at the Buick LPGA Shanghai was defined by the biggest stars in the field getting off to a quick start. In a limited field, seven of the top 14 on the leaderboard are multiple time winners on the LPGA Tour. 2020 LPGA Tour Player of the Year and major champion Sei Young Kim is ahead of them all.
Kim, a player known mostly for her ability to go low and at times, very inconsistent play, was firing on all cylinders in the opening round. She holds a two-stroke lead over the No. 9 player in the world, Celine Boutier, after shooting a -10 in 62.
Kim’s front nine was the main driver of her success, shooting a -8 28 with six birdies and an eagle. Her round went quiet on the back nine, with pars on the first four holes and a bogey on 15. She did bounce back though, with birdies on the last three holes of the day.
Kim hit 11 fairways, but predictably was strong on approach, hitting 16 greens in regulations. She executed well from there, needing only 25 putts on her round.
Sitting two strokes behind Kim is Boutier, who is looking for her first win of the season, playing for just the second time since her solid Solheim Cup performance. Three back at -7 is Lucy Li, who nearly earned her first career win at the previous event in Arkansas. She is riding that momentum right now, missing just one green in regulation.
Kim is seeking her 13th career LPGA Tour win, but it would be her first since November of 2020. Kim is known to be a player who can have wildly varying scores because of the aggressive nature of her game, but when she is on point, she is unbeatable, as was proven in the opening round.
