After her record-tying first round, In Gee Chun talked about her focus on process rather than results. But the results — a record-tying first round 64 — gave the 27 year-old South Korean a remarkable seven-shot lead when she finished her round. At the end of the day, the lead stood at five strokes – tied for the biggest lead in women’s major history. Pornanong Phatlum and Hye-Jin Choi each shot 69 and are five shots back at 3 under.
Chun’s first-round record 64 is tied for the lowest in KPMG Women’s PGA Championship history.
In Gee Chun from Korea fires a first round record 8 under 64 to storm to a stunning 7-shot lead at @KPMGWomensPGA @mymcmedia pic.twitter.com/Ma8Q71Guvv
— Joe Yasharoff (@JYash) June 23, 2022
Off to a hot start. 🔥 In Gee Chun ties the Championship record for lowest opening round score with a 64 (-8).
She joins:
– Jerilyn Britz (1979)
– Rosie Jones (1999)
– Nicole Castrale (2006)#KPMGInsights | #KPMGWomensPGA pic.twitter.com/ApluNcopjf— KPMG Women's PGA Championship (@KPMGWomensPGA) June 23, 2022
Some of the pre-tournament favorite favorites are several strokes behind. Nelly Korda and Brooke Henderson (71), Jin Young Ko and Lydia Ko (72), Minjee Lee (73), Jessica Korda and Lexi Thompson (74) will have some work to do to catch Chun.
Locals scores: UVa grad Lauren Coughlin (74), Alexandria native Jenny Sue Thompson (79), Stephanie Connelly-Eiswerth from Annapolis (81), Baltimore Country Club assistant pro Ashley Tait-Wengert (81) and Hagerstown’s Ashley Grier (85).
Grier told MyMCM about the many challenges she faced Thursday, “I woke up with a jammed, swollen finger, sore back and it rained for the first 12 holes and a soaking wet 6,900 yard golf course. It was just one of those days. It wasn’t going my way. I was tight. I got off to a bad start.It’s hard. It’s playing like 8,000 yards out there. It’s hard.”
Grier, who won the 2014 Maryland Open at Congressional before it was renovated, added, “I didn’t play great but I feel like I can go out and have a good round tomorrow and at least finish with a strong round.”
