Arim Kim Ignites Her "Promised Land" with a Flawless 7-Birdie Round

Arim Kim Takes One-Shot Lead in Lotte Championship Round 1
A Joyful Reunion: Champion Here Two Years Ago
Yoon Ina in Second, Thitikul Fourth, Ko Jin-young Tied for Tenth

Arim Kim created excitement in her "promised land."

On October 2 (Korean time), at Hoakalei Country Club (par 72) in Ewa Beach, Hawaii, USA, Arim Kim played a flawless first round of the LPGA Tour Lotte Championship (total prize money: $3 million), making seven birdies without a single bogey. She shot a 7-under-par 65, placing her at the very top of the leaderboard.

Arim Kim is teeing off on the 12th hole during the first round of the Lotte Championship. Photo by Daehong Communications

Kim, who won the US Women's Open major in 2020 and made her LPGA Tour debut the following year, has a special connection with this tournament. She lifted the championship trophy here in 2024. Remembering her victory two years ago, she made a strong start.

Despite missing the fairway four times on the opening day, which took place on a rain-soaked course, Kim’s precise iron shots meant she missed only two greens and was able to reduce her strokes. After taking three strokes off on the front nine, she regained momentum with a birdie on the 13th hole (par 4), then took the lead thanks to three consecutive birdies on holes 15 through 17.

In her official interview after the first round, Arim Kim said, "Because of the wind here, it is important to control trajectory and to putt well. On top of that, it rained today, so the conditions were tough, but I managed the round well."

Yoon Ina also recorded seven birdies and one bogey to finish with a 6-under-par 66, tying for second place with China's Liu Yu, just one shot behind. World No. 2 Atthaya Thitikul of Thailand is tied for fourth at 5-under-par 67. Former World No. 1 Ko Jin-young finished tied for 10th at 4-under-par 68.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.