Yoon Lee, an LPGA rookie last year, endured a difficult season marked by frequent missed cuts. She failed to make the cut eight times in 26 tournaments. She missed the cut at her debut event, the Founders Cup, and suffered three consecutive missed cuts in May. The eighth and final missed cut of her 2024 season came at the Kroger Queen City Championship in September.
The Kroger Queen City Championship, where Yoon last missed the cut a year ago, has moved venues this year and was rescheduled to May. On Thursday at Mekati and Country Club (par 70) in Cincinnati, Ohio, Yoon climbed to a share of the lead after the first round of the Kroger Queen City Championship, decisively avenging last year's disappointment.
Playing alongside Kim Sei-young and Yu Hae-ran, Yoon began her birdie hunt at her opening hole, the par-4 10th. She picked up a second birdie at the par-4 16th, briefly stumbled with a bogey at the par-4 17th, but immediately bounced back with a birdie at the par-3 18th to return to under par. She also started her back nine with a birdie. After collecting a birdie at the par-4 1st hole, Yoon appeared to cruise through the next three holes with pars before bogeys suddenly piled up. She made consecutive bogeys at the par-4 5th and 6th holes. But the Yoon who used to crumble after consecutive bogeys last year was nowhere to be seen. She drained an eagle at the 7th, the only par-5 on the back nine, and added a birdie at the par-4 8th to card a 4-under 66.
Yoon hit only five fairways but used drives of up to 282 yards to set up her eagle and birdies. She missed seven greens but limited the damage to three bogeys, and her putting was excellent at 26 putts. After making six birdies and racing out to a solo lead, Yoon dropped shots on the final two holes to fall back into a share of first place with Choi Woon-jung and Rio Takeda of Japan, who recorded five birdies and one bogey.
Ko Jin-young, with six birdies and three bogeys, also performed well at 3-under 67, tied for fourth alongside Lilia Vu and Amanda Doherty of the United States. New Zealand's Lydia Ko shared seventh place at 2-under 68 with England's Charley Hull.
Although three Korean players are in the top group, the title race is expected to be as competitive as any tournament this season. The group tied for ninth at 1-under 69 alone includes 21 names. Kim A-rim, Shin Ji-eun and Lee Jeong-eun6 are among them, and world No. 1 Nelly Korda of the United States and world No. 2 Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand, who played in the same group on Thursday, are also tied for ninth as they look to reclaim the lead.
Kim Sei-young and Yu Hae-ran are tied for 50th at 1-over 71.
