Hyo Joo Kim opened with a 4-under 68 at the Aramco Championship and sits one back as she pursues a third straight LPGA Tour victory.
Hyo Joo Kim is giving the LPGA Tour another reason to keep watching closely.
The South Korean star opened the Aramco Championship with a 4-under 68 at Shadow Creek and heads into the second round just one shot off the lead, keeping alive her bid for a third straight victory.
That alone would be a big story.
But the way Kim is doing it makes it even more impressive. After beating Nelly Korda in back-to-back starts, first by one stroke at the Fortinet Founders Cup and then by two shots at the Ford Championship, Kim has carried that same sharp form into Las Vegas.
Her recent play has already pushed her to No. 3 in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings, the best mark of her career.
Thursday’s round didn’t begin perfectly. Kim opened with a bogey on the 10th hole, but that setback didn’t last long. She answered with consecutive birdies on Nos. 11 and 12, added another on the par-5 18th, and then picked up two more on the front side to post another round in the 60s.
It was her fifth straight score in the 60s, a sign that her game is still humming at the right time.
Kim said she isn’t overthinking the moment.
“I'm honestly not sure what went super well. This is probably the best I've played at this course, and so I think I'm just going with that good rhythm,” she said. “Coming into Vegas, people keep telling me to win three weeks in a row. I think I'll just try my best like usual. There is nothing else.”
The numbers say this isn’t a fluke. Entering the week, Kim led the LPGA in birdie percentage at 31.25 percent, birdie-or-better percentage at 32.99 percent and birdie-or-better average per round at 5.94. She also ranked first in putts made per green in regulation at 1.65.
With 54 holes left, Kim is in position again. And right now, she looks like the hottest player in women’s golf.
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