Frisco: Two South Korean golfers are in strong contention after the opening round of the third LPGA major of the season, as they sit just two strokes off the lead. Ryu Hae-ran and Lee So-mi each carded a two-under 70 to secure a tie for third place at the KPMG Women's PGA Championship held at Fields Ranch East at PGA Frisco in northeast Texas.

According to Yonhap News Agency, Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand leads the tournament with a score of 68, positioning her one stroke ahead of Korean Australian Minjee Lee. Ryu Hae-ran, who was named the 2023 LPGA Rookie of the Year and has secured three victories on the U.S. circuit this year, showcased her skills with four birdies and two bogeys. Her performance was marked by hitting 12 of 14 fairways and achieving 17 greens in regulation. Ryu expressed her satisfaction with the round, stating, "This golf course is too hard to make some birdies, and so I just kept (hitting) fairways and greens, and just wanted to make easy pars. I'm really excited now."

Lee So-mi, who moved to the U.S. last year after an impressive five-win streak on the KLPGA Tour, is in pursuit of her first LPGA title. She managed three birdies against a single bogey in the opening round. Reflecting on the conditions, Lee noted, "I expected a lot of wind today, but actually there wasn't a lot of wind. So that made it a little bit easier for me today. On this course, tee shots and putting are very important. I'm focusing on keeping my routine and just playing as usual."

Among other South Korean players, Chun In-gee, the 2022 champion, also delivered a solid performance, finishing one-under 71 alongside KLPGA players Hwang You-min and Bang Shin-sil. Chun, who started on the back nine, tallied four birdies against three bogeys. Despite not winning an LPGA event since her 2022 title, Chun maintained a positive outlook, stating, "I'm really happy to finish under par today because my golf was not pretty. I'm trying to be patient and trying to stick to the game plan. I think it's a good start."

Chun expressed satisfaction with her final birdie on the par-5 ninth hole, saying, "I think I can take more confidence to tomorrow from the birdie from the last hole. I think all the players always like to finish with a birdie on the last hole."

Meanwhile, defending champion Amy Yang struggled, posting a four-over 76, while former world No. 1 Ko Jin-young ended the round with a 74 after bogeying three of her last five holes.