Sei Young Kim shoots bogey-free 66 for lead in LPGA Tour’s Founders Cup

CLIFTON, N.J. (AP) — Sei Young Kim shot a bogey-free 6-under 66 on Thursday at tree-lined Upper Montclair Country Club to take the first-round lead in the LPGA Tour’s Founders Cup. Kim had four straight birdies — on the par-5 12th, par-4 13th, par-5 14th and par-3 15th — and parred the final three holes in the event that honors the LPGA Tour’s 13 founders. The 30-year-old South Korean player, the 2016 tournament winner in Phoenix, has 12 LPGA Tour titles — the last two in 2020. South Korean rookie Hae Ran Ryu was a stroke back. Defending champion Minjee Lee was at 68 with 2019 and 2021 winner Jin Young Ko, 2013 champion Stacy Lewis, Nasa Hataoka, Atthaya Thitikul, Peiyun Chien, Cheyenne Knight, Maddie Szeryk and Hye-Jin Choi.