Korean Somi Lee topped the first round of the Public Investment Fund Saudi Ladies International Championship, held at Riyadh Golf Club, after scoring an impressive result of seven under par (65) on the first day of competition in the $5 million tournament.
The 26-year-old player managed to finish the first half of the round with a score of four under par before achieving three decisive birdies in the last four holes, to lead the standings by one stroke from Germany’s Esther Hensleit and England’s Annabel Fuller.
After achieving 15th place in the Founders Cup last week, Lee confirmed that she is not preoccupied with thinking about the past, saying: “I do not want to think about the past, I only focus on what is coming, and this is my main goal.”
This year’s Public Investment Fund Saudi Ladies International Championship will witness a new format that combines individual and team competitions, with 112 of the world’s elite female golfers participating in the tournament.
Lee's impressive performance, coupled with a great score from her Korean teammate Minsoon Kim (67), helped Lee's team, which also includes France's Nastassja Nadau and England's Amy Taylor, to a total score of -17, which came in second place behind Kyriacou's team.
The leading team, led by Australian Gabriella Kyriacou, included German Olivia Kwan, Czech Sara Kuskova and English Liz Young, who performed as a team. Kyriacou pointed to the strength of the team, saying: “We worked together very well and supported each other in the crucial moments.”
She added: “I didn’t achieve much during the first 14 holes, but I managed to score four birdies in the last five holes, which gave us a strong boost to compete on Friday.”
One of the highlights of the day was the young Thai player April Angurasarani (20 years old) who achieved her first “hole in one” in her career, as she scored a direct hit from the tee on the sixth hole using a 6-iron, amidst great celebration from her teammate and team leader Moriya Jutanugarn.