Thursday's opening round of the FM Championship delivered birdies, sharp iron play, and putting that made the greens at TPC Boston feel alive. Four players, and a rookie or two, had distinctive approaches to the course and the leaderboard.
Korea's Sei Young Kim laid the groundwork, opening with a bogey-free 65. Her precision off the tee and approach shots left little room for error--she missed just two greens all day and hit eight approaches inside 20 feet. From 75–125 yards, her shots averaged just over 10 feet from the hole. Two birdies in the first four holes carried her through the round. "All the birdies make me relax and have confidence," she said. "Momentum's everything." Still, the elusive victory continues to slip through her fingers; Kim has 21 top-10s since 2021 but no win.
Allisen Corpuz matched Kim's 65 to make a statement. From 150–175 yards, she averaged 23 feet to the hole and closed strong with birdies on 15, 16, and 17. "I had a lot of looks and was able to convert," Corpuz said.
American Andrea Lee quietly kept pace with a bogey-free 67 of her own, continuing a run that has her ranked fifth on the LPGA Tour in strokes gained since May and 27 in the world ranking. Balanced iron play and solid putting kept her in contention, underscoring the value of consistency on a course like TPC Boston.
A putter is a confidence machine, and even Nelly Korda isn't immune to its quirks. After losing her No. 1 ranking, she shelved the trusty Spider Tour X and slotted a TaylorMade Del Monte blade with adjustable weights into the bag--a little twist, a little gamble, and a whole lot of "let's see what happens." Well, the swap worked: seven birdies and a 5-under 67. An early bogey at the 4th and another at the 10th didn't faze her. "Just something new… different grip, different feel—I went with it," Korda said. Perhaps it’ll prove rewarding—her streak of made cuts remains unbroken, though that first win of the season still eludes her.
Jodi Ewart Shadoff made moves, birdying the final four holes of her round to join Kim and Corpuz atop the leaderboard at 7-under. Rookie Miranda Wang added flavor to the mix, finishing solo fourth at 6-under after eight birdies on the front nine.
By the close of play, TPC Boston had made its message clear: sharp iron play and confident putting were the keys to a low score. The leaders, having scoped the greens hole by hole, head into Round 2 with a strategy in place. More birdies, a handful of eagles, and a cutline around -1 are likely. It'll be tight, and with ESPN+ feature coverage, every shot will carry a little extra weight.
Round 1 Competition Highlights
Sei Young Kim opens with bogey-free 65 with eight approaches inside 20 feet.
Allisen Corpuz matches 65, finishes hot with birdies on 15–17.
Minjee Lee with 209 feet of putts, including a 55-foot.
Andrea Lee posts 67, showcasing steady, balanced play.
Nelly Korda finds some rhythm with her putter shooting 5-under 67.
Jodi Ewart Shadoff birdies final four holes to share 7-under lead.
Wei Wei Zhang bounces back from recent missed cut, finishing 5-under with an eagle on hole 2.
Shout Out
We need to praise Miranda Wang for an incredible opening round—66 with nine birdies! Simply amazing.
Frida Kinhult, Mi-Hyang Lee, and Ingrid Lindblad for dialing in eagles on the 18th hole.
Gear Notes
Nelly Korda using a TaylorMade Del Monte putter with a SuperStroke grip.