Kim had eight birdies and an eagle for a 10-under 62 to top the standings at Pine Beach Golf Links. Duncan was two shots behind after making birdies on three of his last five holes.
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In the middle of the pair was Hyo Joo Kim, who shot 63.
Sei Young Kim joined the LPGA Tour in 2015, a year after Duncan. The big difference is that Kim has 12 career LPGA wins and Duncan has none.
Kim advanced to 9 under par and took the lead with a birdie on the par-3 15th hole.
Rio Takeda shot 65 and was in a group tied for fourth.
Canada’s Brooke Henderson shot 67 while American Lucy Li, who made a hole-in-one on the par-3 13th and won a car, scored a 68.
Defending champion Hannah Green started with consecutive birdies but stalled throughout her round and finished with a 68, as did compatriot Minjee Lee.
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Green’s win here last year was her third of the 2024 season, making her the first Australian since Karrie Webb to win three times in a season on the LPGA.
Green’s recent tour results include a tie for 28th and a missed cut in Canada in August and a tie for 66th in Arkansas in September.
“My golf game hasn’t been where I’d like it to be. The last few months have probably been the toughest times I’ve had in my career,” Green said before the first round. “I’ve been back in Australia for the last three weeks so I’ve been able to reset.”
This is the first of back-to-back tournaments in South Korea, with the International Crown team event scheduled for next week.
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Jeeno Thitikul last week became the first multiple winner on the LPGA this season with a five-hole playoff victory in Shanghai over Minami Katsu, who shot 68 on Thursday in South Korea. Thitikul will not play this week, but will be part of the Thailand team in the International Crown next week.
Following the International Crown, two more LPGA events are scheduled on the five-event Asian tour: in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and in Japan.
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AP Golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf