NORTON, Mass. — Sei Young Kim capped a second-nine spree with a chip-in eagle and shot an 8-under 64 on Thursday at the TPC Boston to take the first-round lead in the FM Championship.
Kim played a six-hole stretch in 6 under with four birdies and the eagle on the par-5 seventh. The South Korean player had only 24 putts as she tries to build on a third-place finish last week in the CPKC Women’s Open.
“I feel like this course is a little softer, greens are a little softer than last year,” Kim said. “That’s why I was able to get a lot of birdie chance, even front nine.”
Miyu Yamashita, the runaway winner Sunday in Edmonton, Alberta, was a stroke back along with Emily Kristine Pedersen.
After tying the LPGA Tour’s 72-hole scoring record in her nine-stroke victory in Canada, Yamashita led the field with 10 birdies, but had a double bogey on the par-3 eighth. The Japanese star played the back nine in 30 with seven birdies in eight holes. She also had just 24 putts.
“Today putting, middle putting,” Yamashita said. “So good.”
PHOTOS: Sei Young Kim shoots 64 at TPC Boston for 1st-round lead in the FM Championship
Somi Lee opened with a 66.
Top-ranked Nelly Korda had a 72 in the final event before the Solheim Cup. All 10 players atop the women’s ranking are in the field.
The $4.4 million purse is the largest outside of the majors on the LPGA Tour.
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