Kim A-rim entered the competition to win the Chevron Championship (total prize money of 5.1 million dollars), the first major tournament of the LPGA tour season.
In the second round of the tournament held at The Club Carleton Woods (par 72) in Woodlands, Texas, USA on the 22nd (Korean time), Kim A-rim shot a 7-under-par 65 to her sole lead (8-under-par 136 strokes).
Kim A-rim, who has three wins in all, including two wins in Korea and one win in the United States, took her two wins in her major tournaments.
She won the 2020 US Women’s Open, a course notoriously harsh, and last year won the KLPGA Championship held at Ildong Lake Golf Club, a renowned tournament course in Korea.
When she played in Korea, she monopolized the top spot in long strokes, and on the LPGA Tour, Kim A-rim, who is second to none in her long hitting power, is thanks to her bursting potential in major tournaments where her course is long and difficult.
On this day, Kim A-rim also cooked a hig안전놀이터h-level course with her long hit. She had only one bogey and swept eight birdies.
Despite hitting her long drives, averaging over 279 yards, she only missed fairways and greens three times and blocked just 26 putts.
Han Hee-won, a JTBC golf commentator, praised the match as “a near-perfect game considering the course’s difficulty.”
Lilia Boo (USA), who won Honda Thailand, and Megan Kang (USA), who has yet to win, finished the second round in a tie for second place, one stroke behind Kim A-lim.
The 2021 tournament champion Patty Tawatanagit (Thailand) and Nellie Koda (USA) pursued Alim Kim by two strokes.
Kim Hyo-joo, who recorded 2 under par for two days in a row, rounded the halfway point with a tie for 10th place (4 under par, 140 strokes).
Choi Woon-jeong, who tied for second place with a 3 under par the previous day, lost one stroke and was pushed back to a tie for 17th place (2 under par, 142 strokes).
Choi Hye-jin, who cut 2 strokes, and Ji Eun-hee, who recorded 1 under par, are tied for 17th with Choi Woon-jung for the third round.
Ko Jin-young hit 1-under 71 and stayed tied for 36th (1-under 143).
In the first round, Jeon In-ji, who had been sluggish with a 6-over-par 78, escaped the risk of missing the cut by driving a 6-under-par 66. Jeon In-ji raised her ranking to a tie for 48th (even par 144 strokes).
World No. 1 Lydia Ko (New Zealand) lost 4 strokes until the 16th hole.
Lydia Ko, who had only one birdie and three bogeys and one double bogey, was tied for 78th place with a total of 3 over par, making it difficult to pass the cut.
As the match was delayed that day, many players could not finish the second round until sunset, so it was postponed to the next day.