IVINS, Utah — Republic of Korea native Somi Lee muscled her way up the leaderboard on Friday at the Black Desert Championship presented by Greater Zion.

The 26-year-old opened her week in Utah with a 6-under 66 after making one bogey and seven birdies on Thursday at Black Desert Resort, four of which came in her first five holes on Nos. 10, 11, 13 and 14. Lee then backed that up with another 66 in round two, an 18-hole effort that vaulted her to the top of the leaderboard after early play concluded on Friday morning.

Lee parred the first two holes of her second round before grabbing her first birdie of the day on the par-3 3rd hole. She struck again with a birdie on six, but the rest of Lee’s front nine was quiet, as she parred out to turn in 34 at 8-under for the tournament. Lee picked up the pace a bit on the back nine, making a birdie on the par-4 11th hole to get to 9-under.

The LPGA Tour sophomore then landed a one-two punch of birdies on the par-5 13th and par-4 14th holes to climb to 11-under overall. Lee finished off her second round with a birdie on the par-5 18th hole at Black Desert Resort to post at 12-under total and take the lead.

It’s the second time this season that Lee has opened with two rounds in the 60s, as she last did so in February at the Honda LPGA Thailand, where she ultimately finished in a tie for 41st. The Black Desert Championship presented by Greater Zion is Lee’s eighth tournament of her second season on the LPGA Tour, and so far this year, she has earned four top-25 results, the best of which is a tie for 13th that came in her 2025 debut at the Founders Cup presented by U.S. Virgin Islands and the most notable of which is the tie for 24th she recorded last week at The Chevron Championship.

One stroke behind Lee is Soo Bin Joo, who carded a 4-under 68 on Friday morning after posting a 65 in round one. The second round of the Black Desert Championship saw Joo make two bogeys and six birdies, five of which came in her first nine holes on the back nine of Black Desert Resort and two sets of which she made back-to-back on holes 12, 13, 17 and 18.

It’s the first time in her career that Joo has opened an LPGA Tour event with two rounds in the 60s, and even though sitting in close proximity to the top of the leaderboard is unfamiliar territory for the 20-year-old Korean, Joo is ready for the challenge of contending for her first title over the weekend on the LPGA Tour.

“I think it's my first time playing good, like leading the tournament,” Joo said. “And then that makes me really nervous, but I think I took that as my privilege, and I was pretty locked in it for the past 36. I'm really proud of myself.”

Other notable Friday morning performances came from Japan’s Hinako Shibuno and People’s Republic of China native Yahui Zhang. Shibuno, who won the 2019 AIG Women’s Open at Woburn as a non-member, carded a 7-under 65 to vault from T42 into the top 10 at the Black Desert Championship. The 26-year-old made two bogeys, five birdies and a pair of back-to-back eagles on the par-5 13th and par-4 14th holes at Black Desert and is currently sitting at 9-under through 36 holes.

Zhang was the 2024 Gaelle Truet Rookie of the Year on the Epson Tour last season, and after posting a 3-under 69 in round one, the 18-year-old fired a 67 on day two in Ivins, Utah, carding one bogey and six birdies to sit at 8-under overall for the tournament.

Somi Lee Muscles Her Way Into the Lead at Black Desert Championship presented by Greater Zion

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