April 24, 2025; The Woodlands, Texas, USA; Mary Liu of China tees off on the first hole during the first round of the Chevron Championship golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Images Weiwei Zhang used an eagle and birdie on her final two holes to shoot a 6-under 66 to move into a three-way tie for the lead at the Blue Bay LPGA in Hainan, China, on Thursday.
Joining her at the top of the leaderboard were Chinese compatriot Mary Liu and tour newcomer Hwang Yu-min of South Korea. Both women played bogey-free rounds at Gian Lake Blue Bay Golf Course.
Zining An of China, Auston Kim of the United States, and Lee Mi-hyang (Korea) shot 5-under-par 67 in the round held at Jian Lake Blue Bay Golf Course, tying for fourth place, one stroke behind.
After 68 rounds, 7 more players tied for 7th place.
Ryu, who was making her first start of the LPGA tour season, played a steady round, including six birdies.
“My winter training went very well,” she said. “This year, I became clearer about what my priorities were. My coach also advised me to balance work and rest. I even went home for Lunar New Year, which was really nice.”
And that positive attitude continued into the first round.
“I really enjoyed my time there,” she said. “I worked well with my caddy and maintained a good rhythm throughout the day.”
Zhang was very satisfied with his round after making it through the final two holes: an eagle and a birdie.
“It was a really tricky lie about the chip,” she said of the Eagle. “I hit it a little heavy, but the landing point was perfect, and it rolled straight into the hole.”
And on the last hole, an 11-yard chip resulted in a birdie.
“The last two holes were especially interesting,” she said. “It really energized me.”
Mr. Kim has grounds to supplement. She competed in Singapore last week and tied for second place.
“I feel like I’m getting everything done mentally, a lot more often, and I’ve put in a lot of effort over the offseason and it’s great to see it paying off.
“Overall, I think my game is good. I didn’t have my A game last week and I don’t think I had my A game today either. But my short game and putting really saved me. I hit my irons better today too, so I had more opportunities.”
Defending champion Rio Takeda of Japan is five strokes behind. She is one of 17 women to shoot a round of 71.
–Field level media
