Kia Classic 2021 R1
March 25-28
Aviara Golf Club, Carlsbad, California
$1,800,000
Round 2, Round 3, Round 4

Estimated reading time: 7 minutes

20-time LPGA Tour winner Inbee Park posted a bogey-free, 6-under 66 on Thursday to take the opening lead, the eighth time in her storied career that she has either held or shared an 18-hole lead.

Kia Classic 2021 R1

“Really happy with the round today, especially I putted really good on these greens,” said Park, who finished her round in 27 putts. “I know it's going to be a test of some patience with the putting greens and obviously, being my first week out, I am probably a little bit rusty."

“I'm just trying to get the tournament feeling going for the next three days. If results are good, it's great, but if not, I'm just warming up. It's a good warmup for a first day.”

Kia Classic 2021 R1

Park's average finish in the event is 10th. She has never missed a cut in eleven starts, and finished runner-up three times. Her worst result was a tie for twenty first in 2017.

“The course is not overly long and I hit quite a few short irons into the greens so I get opportunities for birdies,” said Park. “It's just a matter of holing some putts out here. With poa annua greens, it's really tough to get the speed and break right. I seem to do quite well on these greens.” 

Kia Classic 2021 R1

Hyo Joo Kim, who has not played on the LPGA since the 2019 CME Group Tour Championship, fired eight birdies on her way to a 5-under 67.

“I think I was able to get a lot of birdies because of the first hole where I bogeyed and after the bogey, I told myself to focus a lot more,” said Kim. “I also made a lot of mistakes today that I shouldn't have. Tomorrow, I'm looking forward to not making as many mistakes and having a great round.”

Stephanie Meadow is tied at 4-under alongside In Gee Chun, Sophia Popov and Mel Reid.

“Hopefully I don't finish like I did in 2019,” said Meadow, who opened with a 5-under 67 and then went 4-over on the weekend. “I like this golf course. I feel like if you hit good golf shots you will be rewarded, and if you don't hit it in the fairway it's really penalizing, so that kind of plays into the strength of my game. It's a pretty walk, gorgeous course and just easy to be happy out there.”

Kia Classic 2021 R1

Hyo Joo Kim, who has not played on the LPGA since the 2019 CME Group Tour Championship, fired eight birdies on her way to a 5-under 67.

Making her first start on the LPGA Tour since June 2019 at the KPMG Women's PGA Championship, Michelle Wie West found a birdie but then battled to a 9-over 81. Local favorite Haley Moore, a native of Escondido, Calif., is 3-over following round one and defending champion Nasa Hataoka finds herself tied for 135th at 7-over. In her first start as a LPGA Tour Member, 2020 U.S. Women's Open champion A Lim Kim shot 6-over and is tied for 127th.

Kia Classic 2021 R1