South Korean Sei Young Kim leads on American soil. Author of a card of 66 (-6), the 33rd in the world completed a course without bogey with 6 birdies. Already winner of the tournament in 2016, the 30-year-old is well on her way after this first round: “It’s a really special tournament for me. This course is my favorite, which is to say that there are a lot of trees on both sides, and staying on the fairway is very important this week. We need a good strategy and a good shot. The greens are really fast, much faster than when I practice. »
She is followed by her compatriot, Hae Ran Ryu, second. The 22-year-old rookie made 8 birdies and 3 bogeys: “In the first round I was a little worried because the fairway is really tight here, but I used the rough as comfortably as possible, and after that my score improved. »
A stroke behind, at -4, they are nine to share the third place, including two former winners of the tournament, the South Korean Jin Young Ko (2019, 2021) and the American Stacy Lewis (2013) as well as the holder of the title, the Australian Minjee Lee. They are joined by Thai Atthaya Thitikul, Japanese Nasa Hataoka, South Korean Hye-Jin Choi, Taiwanese Peiyun Chien and Canadian Maddie Szeryk.
Delacour is 25th, Boutier and Roussin-Bouchard in difficulty
Above the top 10, Sweden’s Anna Nordqvist, winner of the 2017 edition, is at -3, like eleven other players. She is ahead of Perrine Delacour, 25th at -2. The 29-year-old Frenchwoman made 3 birdies and a bogey on the Upper Montclair Country Club course.
In the par in 45th position, there are the world n°1 and n°2, Nelly Korda and Lydia Ko, as well as the American Jennifer Kupcho.
Above par, the French women had more difficulties with Céline Boutier, 66th at +1 and Pauline Roussin-Bouchard, 96th at +3, with Moroccan Ines Laklalech.