Lee produces career-best round to lead LPGA finale
In a stunning display of precision golf that would make legends take notice, South Korea's Somi Lee authored the round of her career with a scintillating eight-under-par 64 to seize a commanding two-shot lead after the first round of the LPGA's season-ending CME Group Tour Championship. The 26-year-old, currently ranked 50th in the world, was nothing short of masterful at Tiburon Golf Club in Florida, orchestrating a round that featured four birdies on the front nine and three more on the back, punctuated by a spectacular eagle on the par-5 17th that had the golf world buzzing.Her only misstep, a bogey on the final hole, did little to dampen the brilliance of a performance that saw her hit 16 of 18 greens in regulation and needed just 26 putts, stats that would make any analyst's eyes widen. Chasing her is American Allisen Corpuz, who sits at six under, while a formidable pack at five under includes world number one and defending champion Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand, who leads the Race to the CME Globe rankings, alongside Korea's Kim Sei-young and Japan's Nasa Hataoka, setting the stage for a thrilling weekend battle.The European charge is being led by Germany's Esther Henseleit and Sweden's Madelene Sagstrom, both tied for seventh at four under in this elite 60-player field that features 28 of this season's 29 winners, a testament to the sheer quality on display. For England's Charley Hull, the 2016 champion, a roller-coaster round of five birdies was undone by a costly double-bogey on the 10th, leaving her with a solid three-under 69, while her compatriot, the promising Lottie Woad, carded a two-under 70.The narrative of resilience was also written by world number two Nelly Korda, who battled back from consecutive bogeys on her opening holes to finish at one under, still very much in the hunt for her first victory of a challenging campaign. Beyond the leaderboard, the stakes are monumental, with the tournament's total purse of $11 million underscoring the growth of the women's game, and the winner's share of $4 million standing as the largest single payday in women's golf history, a figure that dwarfs all but the men's Tour Championship and The Players Championship. This isn't just another tournament; it's a culmination of a grueling season, a test of nerve under the brightest lights, and for Somi Lee, a potential career-defining moment that could see her name etched alongside the greats if she can maintain this torrid pace against the most concentrated field in golf.
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