Golf: Kim Minsol takes one-shot lead after first round of Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific C’ship

Kim Minsol of South Korea plays a shot during Day One of the Women's Amateur Asia-Pacific Championship on The New Course at The Singapore Island Country Club on March 9 in Singapore. PHOTO: R&A via Getty Images

SINGAPORE – A week after watching her compatriot Ko Jin-young retain the prestigious HSBC Women’s World Championship crown, South Korea’s Kim Minsol played a round which the world No. 3 would be proud of.

Firing a five-under 67 at the Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific Championship (WAAP), Kim – ranked 14th in the world amateur golf rankings – took a one-stroke lead after Thursday’s opening round, mixing five birdies with an eagle and a double bogey.

Kim shared a room with Ko at a national team training camp in Vietnam earlier in 2023 and joked with the No. 3 that she will attempt to win the Asia-Pacific title.

Kim could not have got off to a better start.

The 16-year-old said: “I was hitting most of my shots left until yesterday. But it was much better today and I especially hit my iron shots well.

“But it is just the first round of the championship. Still three rounds left.

“I hope to continue to move forward towards winning the championship and become the first Korean winner.”

Kim Minsol of South Korea plays a shot during Day One of The Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific Championship on The New Course at The Singapore Island Country Club on March 09, 2023 in Singapore. (Photo by Yong Teck Lim/R&A/R&A via Getty Images) R&A via Getty Images

Trailing Kim are three players tied at four under – China’s Ni Zixin, Thailand’s Navaporn Soontreeyapas and Hong Kong’s Sophie Han.

China’s Liu Yujie, the youngest played at 12 years old, was also the only one to go bogey-free with a 70 to finish tied-eighth.

It was a challenging day at Singapore Island Country Club as only 17 of the 85 players carded rounds in the red.

Among them were Singaporeans Jaymie Ng (70, tied-eighth) and Hailey Loh (71, tied-11th).

Ng, making her third appearance at the WAAP, said: “It was quite windy today, but I managed to keep my cool and made a lot of putts.

“I’m quite happy because this is my home course and I’m off to a good start. I hope to finish in the top 10. I think that would be a great achievement for me.”

Making her debut at the tournament, which was won by former world No. 1 Atthaya Thitikul in 2018, Loh added: “I was really, really a bit nervous at the first tee.

“But I kind of controlled my emotions and I striped it down the fairway.

“It was definitely a struggle because the course is really undulating and just walking it is really tiring.

“I got a little bit tired in the middle but, in the end, it was okay.”

Defending champion Huang Ting-hsuan of Chinese Taipei shot a 70, while Japan’s Rin Yoshida, the highest-ranked player in the amateur field at No. 4, struggled to a 75.

Sharing Yoshida’s struggles was top-ranked Singaporean Aloysa Atienza, who laboured to a 76.

The world No. 253 is in tied-53rd and in danger of missing Friday’s cut.

She said: “I’m hitting in the right spots today, just not converting my birdie putts and just not scrambling enough.

“I’m still confident with my game. Hopefully, the score will take care of itself tomorrow.”

Other Singaporean scores

Jillian Kuk 75 (+3)

Inez Ng 77 (+5)

Chen Xingtong 78 (+6)

Anne Fernandez 80 (+7)

Shayne Lim 87 (+15)

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