Choi Hyejin off to a good start... "Eight birdies, no bogeys"

Buick LPGA Shanghai: Choi Hyejin leads by 3 after Round 1
Ciganda in second; Takeda and Grace Kim tied for third
Yang Hee-young, Thitikul and Hara tied for seventh, chasing the leaders

It was a refreshing start for Choi Hyejin, who is in her fifth year on tour.

On October 15, Choi Hyejin carded eight birdies without a bogey in the first round of the Buick LPGA Shanghai, part of the LPGA Tour's Asian Swing, at Sheshan Golf Club (par 72) in Shanghai, China. She fired an 8-under-par 64 to finish the round in the lead by three strokes. The tournament has a total purse of $3.2 million.

Choi Hyejin surged into the lead after firing an 8-under-par 64 in the first round of the Buick LPGA Shanghai. AFP-Yonhap News Agency

Choi opened with four birdies on the 10th hole (par 4) and the 14th, 16th and 18th holes. She kept the momentum going on the back nine with four consecutive birdies from the second through fifth holes. Although she missed six greens, she was outstanding on the putting surface, taking just 22 putts. Choi made her LPGA Tour debut in 2022 and has yet to win a title. She has recorded 33 top-10 finishes over five seasons.

Carlota Ciganda of Spain shot a 5-under-par 67 to sit in second place. Rio Takeda of Japan, Yin Ruoning of China and Grace Kim of Australia shared third at 4-under-par 68. Yang Hee-young, defending champion and world No. 2 Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand, and Erika Hara of Japan shared seventh at 3-under-par 69.

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