Somi Lee takes command of the CME Group Tour Championship after firing an impressive eight-under-par 64 in Thursday's opening round. The Korean golfer bogeyed her final hole to maintain a two-shot lead, as Allisen Corpuz trailed closely with a 66.
The leading contenders, including top-ranked Jeeno Thitikul, who settled for a share of third place with five under, and Sei Young Kim, Jin Hee Im, and Nasa Hataoka, all posted 68s. However, the tournament's top seed, Nelly Korda, struggled to find her footing, carding a one-under 71 in pursuit of her first win this season.
Notably, the $11m prize fund on offer is the second-highest on the LPGA Tour, eclipsed only by the US Women's Open. Yet, it's the $4m that goes to the winner – the largest purse for any women's golf event – making this the richest in women's golf and third overall, behind the men's Tour Championship and The Players Championship.
As the field navigates the challenging course at Tiburón, Lee will be keenly aware of her opportunity to claim a coveted title.
The leading contenders, including top-ranked Jeeno Thitikul, who settled for a share of third place with five under, and Sei Young Kim, Jin Hee Im, and Nasa Hataoka, all posted 68s. However, the tournament's top seed, Nelly Korda, struggled to find her footing, carding a one-under 71 in pursuit of her first win this season.
Notably, the $11m prize fund on offer is the second-highest on the LPGA Tour, eclipsed only by the US Women's Open. Yet, it's the $4m that goes to the winner – the largest purse for any women's golf event – making this the richest in women's golf and third overall, behind the men's Tour Championship and The Players Championship.
As the field navigates the challenging course at Tiburón, Lee will be keenly aware of her opportunity to claim a coveted title.
! i knew she had it in her all along. 8 under par in one round is insane! 
and yeah, the prize fund is crazy high 
but it's all worth it if she can take home that $4m check 
. nelly korda's struggles are a shame too 
, i was rooting for her. anyway, let's see how the rest of the tournament goes! 
Somi Lee is on fire!!! 
I'm so stoked for her! 8 under par in one round? That's insane! 
. And $4m for the winner? 
OMG, Somi Lee is on fire!!! Eight-under-par 64 in the first round? That's INSANE 
! The competition is fierce, but I think she's got this 
- $4m is no joke 
. The course at Tiburón sounds tough too, but she's got this 
. Can't wait to see how the rest of the tournament unfolds 
.
anyway, the prize fund for this tournament is insane $11m is a lot of money and i think it's awesome that the winner will get $4m... it's like, a major career changer 
]
What's going on there?! And don't even get me started on Nelly Korda... like, what happened to her game? 
, I mean she fired 64 in the first round? That's insane! 
, but still got to beat this girl by two shots. Jeeno Thitikul and Sei Young Kim are right there too 
, it's gonna be a battle royale out in that field 
. And Nelly Korda just needs to find her groove again... 