Former champ Kim A-lim in six-way tie for US Women’s Open lead

Kim A-lim of South Korea chips onto the 18th green during the first round of the US Women's Open. PHOTO: AFP

UPDATED May 30, 2025, 12:19 PM

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CHICAGO – Former champion Kim A-lim is keeping her focus, as she fired six birdies in a four-under 68 to headline a group of six tied atop the leaderboard after the first round of US Women’s Open on May 29.

Fellow South Korean Im Jin-hee, Japan’s Rio Takeda, Americans Yealimi Noh and Angel Yin and Spanish LPGA rookie Julia Lopez Ramirez shared the lead, one stroke in front of another group of five players.

Kim said she would not expend her energy worrying about who might be in striking distance.

“Honestly, I’m not thinking about (the) leaderboard because my job is process, not result,” said Kim, who won the 2020 US Open in her Major championship debut.

“Next three days, I play the same thing as today – focus on my line, hit it. That’s all.”

With little wind, Erin Hills, the rolling 6,829-yard par-72 layout in Erin, Wisconsin, offered perhaps its most benign face for the first round of the first US Women’s Open to be held there.

Noh, who holed out for an eagle at the 14th and birdied the par-five 18th, called it a “good scoring day”.

But plenty of marquee names were unable to join the 33 players to shoot under par.

World No. 1 Nelly Korda was playing catchup after a bogey at the third, finally getting to even par 72 with a birdie at the par-five 18th.

Defending champion Yuka Saso’s bid for a third US Open title in five seasons got off to a rocky start with a two-over 74.

World No. 2 Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand opened with a three-over 75 while third-ranked Lydia Ko of New Zealand – whose resume includes three Major titles but no US Open – posted a one-over 73.

“I think I’m happy with it,” Korda said. “Obviously, I wish the ball found the bottom of the cup a little bit more.

“First day of the US Open, it’s all about patience. I’m striking it pretty well, so hopefully I can carry that into the next couple days.”

In men’s golf, Ben Griffin, fresh from his triumph in Texas last week, fired a seven-under 65 to grab a two-shot lead after the first round of the Memorial Tournament at Dublin, Ohio.

He ended his round in superb style with three straight birdies which left him with a two-stroke advantage over fellow American Collin Morikawa.

“I was kind of building on what I kind of was doing last week, making a ton of birdies, staying aggressive,” Griffin said. AFP

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