A Lim Kim of South Korea shot a sterling 7-under-par 65 on Thursday that handed her a four-stroke lead after one round of the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions, the LPGA’s season opener in Orlando, Fla.
Kim’s seven-birdie, bogey-free card gave her ample cushion on the rest of the 32-woman field, all of whom shot between 3 under and 3 over par in the first round. South Korea’s Jin Young Ko and Thailand’s Patty Tavatanakit are tied for second after carding 69.
Kim, 29, started on the back nine at Lake Nona Golf & Country Club. She was 2 under par when she reached the par-4 18th and birdied two straight holes to propel her into the front nine.
Birdies at Nos. 5, 7 and 9 closed her statement round.
“My shot is good. Putting it good. Everything is good,” Kim said.
Ranked No. 55 in the world, Kim’s only LPGA victory before last year came at the 2020 U.S. Women’s Open. Last November, in the third-to-final event of the 2024 season, Kim broke through to win the Lotte Championship. Now she’s parlaying that strong finish into a head start in 2025.
She said she only stayed in her native South Korea for three or four weeks before returning to Florida.
“Just worry about practicing, because in January I focus really, really on body, weight training, and then some strength training,” Kim said. “My body training. Not focus on practicing. But this week I feel really great.”
The next-closest golfers behind Kim are a pair of major winners themselves. Ko posted a bogey-free 69 and told reporters after her round that she was doing too much thinking while trying to improve her game in 2024.
“I just want to make simple on this year,” she said. “Golf is already difficult sport, so I just trying to keep simple in my mind.”
Tavatanakit had four birdies offset by just one bogey.
“I’m a little exhausted from walking 18 holes for the first time this year,” Tavatanakit said. “… I feel like (her) golf was probably six out of 10 but kept it together and scored really well.”
A large group at 2-under 70 featured Rose Zhang, Cheyenne Knight, Ireland’s Leona Maguire, South Korea’s Haeran Ryu, Rio Takeda and Yuka Saso of Japan, France’s Celine Boutier, Hannah Green of Australia, Sweden’s Linn Grant and Thailand’s Pajaree Anannarukarn.
Zhang, 21, is heading back to classes at Stanford next week after participating in the LPGA season opener.
“I kind of got my head straight on what I wanted my objectives to be throughout the year, especially this year,” said Zhang, who does not expect to graduate until 2027 because she’s only taking classes during winter quarters.
World No. 1 Nelly Korda shot a 1-under 71. World No. 2 and tournament defending champion Lydia Ko of New Zealand struggled to a 1-over 73.
–Field Level Media
