Avondale’s Grace Kim has continued her breakout season with a steady opening round at the season’s second major, the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at Baltusrol in New Jersey.
Kim is tied-12th after round one having shot a tidy, 1-under-par 70 on the opening day on the Lower course at storied Baltusrol Country Club in Springfield, New Jersey.
The 22-year-old rolled in three birdies and had two bogeys to sit just three shots off the lead held at 5-under by South Africa’s Lee-Anne Pace.
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Kim, who plays out of Avondale Golf Club, is a member of the Golf Australia rookie squad and in her first season on the LPGA Tour has already logged a win at the Lotte Championship in Hawaii back in April.
She has risen from the world No. 181 at the end of last year to a ranking of No. 82.
This is just her third start in a major after making her debut in the US Open last year and this season’s Chevron Championship, where she missed the cut.
World No. 5 Minjee Lee was the best of the other Australians today, opening with a 1-over 72 in conditions that proved difficult for all the players.
Just 16 of the 156 players broke par at Baltusrol, one of the most famous courses in the United States.
Lee made three birdies and had a good round going until she took double bogey six at the par-4 17th hole. She is still seeking her first win of 2023 after a remarkable 2022 season.
Gabriela Ruffels opened with a 73, Karis Davidson a 74, Hannah Green and Steph Kyriacou posted 75s, Sarah Kemp a 78 and Su Oh began with 82.
Jones Makes a Move in Quest for Open Spot
Canberra-based Brendan Jones’ quest for a coveted place in the field for the 152nd Open Championship looking on track, with the 19-time Tour winner sitting just two shots back of Local Seungsu Han in the the KRW1,400,000,000 (US$1,075,000) Kolon Korean Open at Woo Jeong Hills Country Club.
With almost half of the second round complete, Jones, who claimed the New Zealand Open in March, has carded rounds of 70 & 69 to be in a five-way tie for second at three under par.
Davis Off to Pleasing Start in Connecticut
Sydney’s Cam Davis has made a pleasing start to the US PGA Tour’s traveler’s Championship at TPC River Highlands.
The 28 year old who has recorded three top ten finishes this year carded a handy five-under par 65 in a round which included 6 birdies and only one blemish, a bogey on the par-four 12th, to sit in a logjam for 8th place, five shots behind leader Denny McCarthy.
Adam Scott is the best placed Aussie in the fiel, his spectacular eight-under 62 leaving him in a tie for second two shots back of the leader.
