Hyo Joo Kim holes out for eagle and a 63 to lead Founders Cup at Sharon Heights

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Hyo Joo Kim, of South Korea, hits toward the 10th fairway during the first round of the LPGA Fortinet Founders Cup golf tournament, Thursday, March 19, 2026, in Menlo Park, Calif. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

Hyo Joo Kim, of South Korea, hits from the 11th tee during the first round of the LPGA Fortinet Founders Cup golf tournament, Thursday, March 19, 2026, in Menlo Park, Calif. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu) — Hyo Joo Kim, of South Korea, hits toward the 10th fairway during the first round of the LPGA Fortinet Founders Cup golf tournament, Thursday, March 19, 2026, in Menlo Park, Calif. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

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9:50 PM on Thursday, March 19

The Associated Press

MENLO PARK, Calif. (AP) — Hyo Joo Kim capped off a flawless round at Sharon Heights by holing out for eagle on the par-5 18th hole for a 9-under 63 that gave her a two-shot lead in the Fortinet Founders Cup.

The best scoring came in the morning at the course hosting an LPGA event for the first time, before the greens began to get firm and fast and made it difficult to get shots close.

Kim was more impressed with keeping bogeys off her card on the tree-lined course than she was with the eagle on the final hole.

“I am just so satisfied I had no bogeys,” Kim said. “I had some mistakes in the beginning, but I was able to save them. I ended with an eagle, so I ended pretty happily.”

As for that eagle?

“I couldn't see the hole from where I was, but people started cheering and then I heard a ”Yeah!" So I figured it went in," Kim said.

LPGA rookie Dongeun Lee also had an eagle on the par-5 closing hole, posting a 65. Polly Mack of Germany overcame a double bogey on the par-5 10th on her way to a 66, tied with Jim Hee Im.

Mack missed only two fairways and three greens and let her length and her wedges do the work in making eight birdies to offset the double bogey.

“Hit a lot of fairways and greens and left myself with a lot of birdie chances. Had a lot of wedges into greens, and that’s what I’ve been working on the most this offseason,” said Mack, who finished her college career at Alabama. “It’s good to see that coming into play and really coming along and seeing that progress. Just had a lot of short birdie putts. Used most of them to my advantage.”

Gaby Lopez, Gemma Dryburgh and Nastasia Nadaud were in the group at 68, all of them with the lowest score in the tougher afternoon conditions.

Nelly Korda, who skipped the Asia swing after winning the season opener in 54 holes because of cold weather, had a 70. Jeeno Thitikul, the No. 1 player in women's golf, shot 72.

The tournament began as a tribute to the 13 founders of the LPGA. It began in Arizona in 2011 and last year was the second event of the season and played in Florida. It has attracted eight of the top 10 players in the women's world ranking and kicks off a four-tournament stretch in the West ahead of the first major of the year.

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AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf