Ilhee Lee delivered a standout performance in her milestone 200th LPGA Tour start by firing an 8-under-par 63 to share the first-round lead with Elizabeth Szokol at the ShopRite LPGA Classic at Seaview Hotel and Golf Club.
Lee, a 36-year-old from South Korea, matched her best score in relation to par by sinking nine birdies and making a single bogey. She opened with three straight birdies on holes 3 through 5, added another trio of birdies from 8 to 10, and closed her round with three more birdies on the closing holes, while her lone blemish came at the par-4 13th. She struck 14 of 18 greens in regulation, found only two fairways off the tee, and needed just 25 putts for the round.
Moreover, Szokol posted her own 63 by making birdies on her first five holes and seven of her opening nine. Japan’s Akie Iwai trails the co-leaders by two shots after carding a 6-under-par 65. World No. 1 Nelly Korda struggled to a 1-over 71, and defending champion Linnea Strom recorded a 72.
The ShopRite LPGA Classic stands as one of only two 54-hole events on the LPGA calendar, alongside the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship, and it features a field of 144 players competing for a $1.75 million purse. The LPGA Tour marks its 75th anniversary season this year and carries a record $131 million in total prize money across 32 events.
Lee reflected on her change in outlook since battling a shoulder injury that slowed her career from 2019 onward. She said she focuses less on controlling results and more on playing with what she has on the day. Her last Tour victory came at the 2013 Pure Silk-Bahamas Classic, and she seeks to end that drought this weekend. The ShopRite event has donated over $40 million to charity since 1992, and Lee’s strong start suggests she may add another highlight to her résumé by Sunday.
