Evian, France: South Korean teen Kim Hyo-joo set the Evian Championship alight as she hit ten birdies in a record breaking first round ten-under-par 61 on Thursday.
She led by four shots from Australia’s seven-time major champion Karrie Webb and by five from compatriot Hur Mi-jung.
Kim’s is the lowest ever round in a major golf championship — replacing the 62s of Finland’s Minea Blomqvist at the 2004 Women’s British Open and Lorena Ochoa at the 2006 Kraft Nabisco Championship. The lowest round in a men’s major is 63.
It was a flawless effort, with Kim’s putter like a magic wand in perfect sunny afternoon conditions in southeastern France.
Kim was out in 30 with birdies at the first, third, fourth, sixth and ninth and made more at the 11th, 13th, 14th, 16th and 18th in a homeward 31.
“I like hard courses and I played really well today,” said Kim.
“I didn’t come here with too high expectations. I just wanted to play well. I putted great today. My longest was about 45 feet at the 14th.”
Kim has already been hailed as the best Korean golfer since Pak Se-ri, the player who sparked her country’s revolution in the game with two major victories in her rookie 1998 season.
As an amateur in 2012, the youngster won the Lotte Mart Women’s Open on the Korean LPGA Tour by nine shots and, months later, she claimed the Suntory Ladies’ Open on the Japanese circuit.
On turning professional last year she claimed the China Ladies’ Open and was the Korean LPGA Rookie of the Year.
