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A few South Korean players found themselves in early contention at the first major tournament of the 2026 LPGA season in Houston. Lee So-mi fired five-under 67 to begin the Chevron Championship at Memorial Park Golf Course in Houston on Thursday (local time) to sit tied for second place. Nelly Korda of the United States, world No. 2, is the sole leader at seven-under.

According to Yonhap News Agency, Lee, who earned her maiden LPGA title last year with Im Jin-hee at the Dow Championship, had six birdies and made her lone bogey at the par-3 ninth hole. She missed only one of 13 fairways and hit 16 of 18 greens in regulation. Lee mentioned that she had been having problems with her shots but improved her mental game and focused more on putting practice before the round. She expressed confidence in maintaining her rhythm throughout the week.

Three South Korean players were among 10 players tied for eighth place at three-under: amateur Yang Yun-seo , LPGA sophomore Yoon Ina, and Im, who is coming from a playoff loss at the JM Eagle LA Championship last week. Yang, 18, began her first LPGA major with an eagle on the par-5 first hole, adding three birdies against two bogeys. Yoon, in search of her first victory, had six birdies, one bogey, and a double bogey. Im traded four birdies with a bogey.

Yoon shared her thoughts on the course, noting the challenging conditions but appreciating the overall setup. She emphasized the importance of accurate iron shots to achieve a good score on the par-72 course, which played 6,651 yards in the opening round. The champion of the tournament will take home US$1.35 million.