Kim snatches US Open lead with 66; J-RO 4 adrift

SOUTHAMPTON, New York – South Korea’s Kim Ha-Neul snatched the firstround lead in the US Women’s Open from number one-ranked compatriot Park In-Bee Thursday with a flawless six-under par 66.

Kim, playing her first US Women’s Open, had six birdies and no bogeys on the par-72 Sebonack Golf Club course to edge ahead of Park, who held the clubhouse lead for most of the day on five-under 67.

“This is my first time in the US Open and I didn’t think that I was going to do it like this,” said Kim, a seven-time winner on the Korean LPGA Tour.

Jennifer Rosales put on her strongest start in years, firing a two-under 70 to trail Kim by just four.

The two-time LPGA winner, who has struggled the last few years coming off an injury and poor form, birdied two of the first three holes then made a run of pars before hitting another birdie on par-3 17th to negate her lone bogey mishap on No. 11.

She was near flawless off the mound, missing just one fairway and saved pars twice in three times that she went out of regulation.

Rosales stood in joint ninth with Natalie Gulbis, Karine Icher, Yang Je-yoon, Jodi Ewart Shadoff, Mariajo Uribe, Catriona Matthew and Jessica Korda, hopeful to sustain her form and stay in contention in the next three rounds of the year’s third Major championship.

Park, whose five titles in 2013 include major triumphs at the Kraft Nabisco Championship and the LPGA Championship, had six birdies and one bogey for sole possession of second place.

“I played very good today,” Park said. “I hit the ball very good, didn’t miss many fairways or greens.

“I was able to take some pins today where the USGA was a little generous on us today.”

The US Golf Association – not known for generosity in the set-up of its Open championships – moved up the tees in anticipation of inclement weather, and Park took full advantage.

“Instead of hitting, like, five-irons, we were hitting nine-irons, and that was making the course much easier,” she said. “I was actually able to go for some pins and give myself a lot of opportunities today. I made a lot of putts and didn’t leave much out there.”

Park opened her round with a birdie at the 10th hole, where she hit a wedge to about a foot and “just tapped in for birdie”.

She picked up another stroke at the parfour 14th, rolling in a seven-footer.