Mi Hyang Lee has a bogey-free 66 to
lead LPGA in China
[March 07, 2026]
HAINAN ISLAND, China (AP) — Mi Hyang Lee played bogey-free in
windy conditions on Friday and posted a 6-under 66, giving her a
one-shot lead in the Blue Bay LPGA going into the weekend as the
South Korean chases her first LPGA title in more than eight years.
The wind wasn't as strong as what Lee faced in the opening round,
and she managed to keep a clean card while making birdies on three
of the four par 5s at Jian Lake Blue Bay.
Lee was one shot ahead of Yu Liu (66), the former Duke player who is
trying to join Shanshan Feng as the only Chinese player to win Blue
Bay since the tournament began in 2014.
Auston Kim, the American coming off a tie for third last week in
Singapore, made eagle on the par-5 eighth hole and shot 68. She was
two shots behind.
“The wind was blowing more than I expected this morning, but still
better than yesterday afternoon,” said Lee, who was at 11-under 133.
“Pretty similar direction, as well, so it wasn't that hard for me.”
Key for Lee were the undulating greens. She focused on hitting the
right section of the greens for easier putts, and chipping instead
of putting when just off the green to navigate the slopes.
“That's why I make a lot of birdies and no bogeys,” she said.
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The contours in the greens were perplexing, and at
times frustrating, for Kim down the stretch as some of her approach
shots took unexpected bounces and left her a long way from the cup
or tricky putts to set up pars.
After a hot start, including the eagle on No. 8,
she made her only bogey on the ninth and then had to settle for pars
until a birdie on the par-5 18th. Even so, she was in the thick of
contention for the second straight week with a chance at her first
LPGA title.
“Heading into tomorrow and heading into the weekend my game is
feeling good. I know what I can control and chasing is good,” Kim
said. “It'll be fun out here.”
Former Women's PGA champion Ruoning Yin of China had the first
hole-in-one of the year on the LPGA tour with an 8-iron from 153
yards on the par-3 seventh, her 16th hole of the round. She is six
shots behind at the halfway point.
Blue Bay LPGA wraps up a three-tournament swing through Asia for the
LPGA with the weakest field of the three. It follows a week in
Singapore that had nine of the top 10 in the women’s world ranking,
missing only Nelly Korda, who again skipped the Asia swing.
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