I.K. Kim
I.K. Kim tied the tournament record with a 9-under-par 63 on Thursday at the Honda LPGA Thailand carding nine birdies, the 22-year-old Rolex Rankings No. 7 finsiehd the day with a three-shot lead over Hall of Famer Juli Inkster and Rolex Rankings No. 1 Yani Tseng at Siam Country Club’s Old Course.
Kim, who resides in San Diego, started her day with a birdie at the par-5 first hole and never looked back, nearly holing a birdie chip on 18 to set a new tournament record.
She joins Suzann Pettersen (2007), Stacy Prammanasudh (2009) and last year’s champion Ai Miyazato in the record books with her bogey-free performance. Kim’s 9-under-par performance matches her career-best, set at the 2010 Tres Marias Championship where she carded a 9-under-par 64 (par 73) in the final round to finish fourth.
31-time Tour winner Juli Inkster over came a rocky start to shoot 66. Looking for her first victory since the 2006 Safeway International Presented by Coca-Cola, Inkster recovered from back-to-back bogies at two and three to shoot 6-under-par 66, three shots back of leader I.K. Kim. With her next victory, Inkster would become the oldest winner in LPGA Tour history. The LPGA and World Golf Halls of Fame member is fourth all-time with over $13 million earned.
Tseng looks to go “4 For 4”. Yani Tseng has teed it up at three events this season – once on the Asian Ladies Golf Tour (ALGT) and twice on the Ladies European Tour (LET) – and has three trophies to show for it. Tseng is looking to continue her streak this week following a first-round 66 that included birdies at 17 – a 25-foot putt – and 18 to move three shots back of leader I.K. Kim.
The top-three players at the end of the Honda LPGA Thailand will earn tickets to the season-ending Titleholders at Grand Cypress Golf Club in Orlando, Fla. Each official tournament will send three players to Titleholders this season.
If the tournament ended today, I.K. Kim, Juli Inkster and Yani Tseng would have earned their tickets.
Karen Stupples of England signed for a round of 70 to finish 2 under per.
