Tying her career-low 18-hole score, Peiyun Chien put herself squarely in contention at Siam Country Club Old Course and with the first-round lead at the Honda LPGA Thailand after shooting an 8-under 64. Chien is playing in her second Honda LPGA Thailand and first since 2018, where she finished T49. The 33-year-old teed off No. 10 to begin the day, opening with birdies on her first hole and No. 12 before a bogey on 14. Starting at 17, Chien birdied four-straight, including two of the par-5s (Nos. 18 and 1), and continued rolling the rock with another birdie on 6 and an eagle on 7. She went -5 overall on the four par-5s on Thursday, putting her at ease after battling the extreme Thai heat.
“I think [this course is] very easy to shot the good score. Everything can happen,” said Chien. “I just need to play every shot I can do and play best -- every shot best.”
Chien had her best season on Tour in 2023, notching five of her 10 career top-10 results in 24 events last year and making her third CME Group Tour Championship appearance and first in five years. She ended the season ranked No. 49th on the Race to CME Globe Points List, her career-best rank on the Points List and first time ending the season within the top 50. Despite withdrawing from the LPGA Drive On Championship in January after the first round, Chien still feels as if she’s carrying the momentum from an outstanding 2023 into the Asia swing.
“In the very beginning, the season starts, I should learn just keep the same putter, same irons, everything is the same. Just trust myself. I do really trust my read today. I just trust my read and putted,” said Chien.
Sei Young Kim snuck up the leaderboard and into solo second at -6, two shots back of leader Chien. Despite a bogey on No. 12, Kim posted seven birdies on the day, including four in five holes between No. 14-18. Kim is playing her second event of the year and posted a T13 finish at the LPGA Drive On Championship in Bradenton. The 31-year-old, who has won 12 times on the LPGA Tour, is looking for her first victory since November 2020, but is living in the present and taking this week one shot at a time.
“I wasn't comfortable for couple holes beginning, and then after I missed -- after I miss the putt and I had a bogey, I feel like more relax and just feel comfortable, just whatever, just play,” said Kim. “That's kind of help, yeah, and then birdies came to me.”
Nine players sit in a tie for third at -5, including Thailand’s own Patty Tavatanakit and Natthakritta Vongtaveelap. Tavatanakit is coming off a whirlwind week on the Ladies European Tour at the Aramco Saudi Ladies International, cruising to a seven-shot victory for her first professional win since the 2021 Chevron Championship. Vongtaveelap, who finished in second in 2023 as an LPGA Tour rookie, is back at Siam Country Club Old Course this year thanks to a sponsor’s exemption. Injury plagued a majority of her rookie season, but the young gun is now as motivated as ever to potentially be the year’s first Rolex First-Time Winner.
“This is my second year that I'm competing in this tournament. I feel honored to be invited to play in this tournament again. Well, for this year I feel, yeah, excited all the time. Yeah, so just prepare myself. And also my knee, yeah, I work out a lot before this week,” said Vontaveelap. “It's tear on my left knee. On last year I play in LPGA and I take medical leave because of my knee, and now it's getting better.”
Former Rolex Rankings No. 1 Jin Young Ko and 2022 Honda LPGA Thailand champion Nanna Koerstz Madsen sit in a tie for 11th with six other players at -4. Defending champion Lilia Vu, whose victory in 2023 helped catapult her to a four-win season and Rolex Player of the Year honors, opened with a 1-over 73 and tied for 60th. Vu started strong, with three birdies in her first nine holes, but carded five bogeys afterwards between Nos. 10-17 to end day one nine shots out of the lead.
)
)
)
)
