S. Koreans in early mix in women’s golf

RIO DE JANEIRO, Aug. 17 (Yonhap) — South Koreans were in the early mix after the first round of the Rio de Janeiro Olympic women’s golf tournament on Wednesday.

Park In-bee and Kim Sei-young both enjoyed bogey-free first rounds at the par-71, 6,245-yard Olympic Golf Course. The two each had five birdies.

They’re tied for second place in a field of 60, one off the pace set by Ariya Jutanugarn, world No. 2 from Thailand. Jutanugarn, who has four LPGA Tour wins this year, overcame a double bogey and a bogey with seven birdies and an eagle for a 65.

Chun In-gee traded five birdies for four bogeys for a 70 and is in a seven-way tie for 19th.

Amy Yang was the only one among four South Koreans not to break par in the first round, carding a 73 with two birdies and four bogeys to sit in a tie for 39th.

South Korea’s Park In-bee hits her tee shot on the first hole at Olympic Golf Course in the first round of the Rio de Janeiro Olympic women’s golf tournament on Aug. 17, 2016.

Park, an LPGA Hall of Famer mired in an injury-plagued season, picked up her first birdie at the par-5 fifth, where she stuck her third shot to about a foot. Her second birdie came at the par-4 seventh.

Park then recorded three straight birdies to start the back nine. Capping off the run was a 32-foot birdie putt at the par-4 12th.

Kim, world No. 6, birdied the first, fourth and seventh holes. She then bookeded her back nine with birdies at the 10th and the 18th.

Three players were tied at four-under 67, with four more players having each carded a 68.

World No. 1 Lydia Ko, a South Korean-born Kiwi, is among eight players tied for 11th place at two-under 69. She was even par through 14 holes with three birdies and three bogeys, and picked up an eagle at the par-4 15th to finish in the red number.

South Korea’s Kim Sei-young hits a shot on to the first green at Olympic Golf Course in the first round of the Rio de Janeiro Olympic women’s golf tournament on Aug. 17, 2016.