Sei Young Kim shoots second
straight 65 to take LPGA Tour lead in Los Angeles
[April 18, 2026]
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Sei Young Kim shot her second straight
7-under 65 on Friday at El Caballero to take a one-stroke lead in
the JM Eagle LA Championship, the final event before the first
women's major of the season.
Playing in the morning wave on the hilly, tree-lined course, Kim
birdied two of the first three holes, then made a big move on the
back nine with five birdies in a seven-hole stretch.
“I just want to keep moving forward the next two days,” the
33-year-old South Korean player said. “I try to move forward
whatever my position."
First-round leader Chizzy Iwai of Japan was tied for second with Ina
Yoon of South Korea.
Iwai followed her opening 63 with a 68, making three birdies in a
four-hole stretch on the back nine late in the afternoon.
She's also looking to attack the course.
“I like aggressive golf,” Iwai said. “I think tomorrow I need to be
aggressive.”
Yoon had a 64. She played her opening nine holes — the back nine at
El Caballero — in 7-under 29 and added a birdie on the par-5
seventh.
“I never shot 29 for nine holes in my life. It was unbelievable,”
Yoon said. “The back nine was little bummer.”
The Chevron Championship is next week in Houston, with the Dallas
area-based Kim excited about her strong play leading into the major.
“I’m very much looking to forward next week,” Kim said. “But I have
two more days, so I just focus on this weekend.”
Kim won the BMW Ladies Championship last year in South Korea for the
last of her 13 LPGA Tour titles. She won the 2020 KPMG Women’s PGA
Championship for her lone major title.
Iwai won last year in Mexico for her first LPGA Tour victory. Yoon
is winless on the tour.
Jin Hee Im (68), Melanie Green (68) and Jessica Porvasnik (69) were
five strokes back at 9 under.
[to top of second column] |
Sei Young Kim hits from the fifth tee during the first round of the
LPGA's JM Eagle LA Championship golf tournament at El Caballero
Country Club, Thursday, April 16, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP
Photo/Jessie Alcheh)
Hannah Green, the 2023 and 2024 winner at Wilshire
Country Club, was 8 under after a 69. The Australian has three
worldwide wins this year — the HSBC Women’s World Championship on
the LPGA Tour along with the Women’s Australian Open and Australian
WPGA.
The tournament is being played at El Caballero for the second
straight year because of course renovations at Wilshire.
Defending champion Ingrid Lindblad was 3 under after a 72.
Lauren Coughlin, the winner two weeks ago at Shadow Creek, followed
her opening 66 with a 76 to fall to 2 under. She had six bogeys
Friday.
Amateurs Asterisk Talley and Aphrodite Deng were 4 under. The
17-year-old Talley, playing her first event since losing the lead on
the back nine in the Augusta National Women’s Amateur, had her
second straight 70. Deng, from Canada, shot 72.
Hyo Joo Kim withdrew before the round after opening with a 68. She
leads the tour this year with two victories, winning in consecutive
weeks in the Bay Area and Arizona.
Minjee Lee and Hye-Jin Choi also withdrew before the round.
All contents © copyright 2026 Associated Press. All rights reserved
 |
