Park In-bee off to good start at LPGA Kia Classic

Park In-bee (28) is off to a good start to aim for her first U.S. LPGA win of the season.

In the first round of the Kia Classic, or the seventh LPGA event of this season, at Carlsbad Aviara Golf Club (par 72) in California on Thursday local time, Park had five birdies without a bogey, to finish at 5-under 67 and tie for first with Brittany Lang (31) of the U.S.

Park, who competed in the same group as fellow Korean Jang Ha-na (24), and Lexi Thomson (21) of the U.S., cut four strokes at the last nine holes alone. Despite her tee shot falling into the bunker at Hole 18, she finished the hole without bogey.

“Both shots and putts went well overall,” Park said expressing her satisfaction. At the first LPGA championship of the season, she had to quit halfway due to waist pain, failing to make the cut at the JTBC Founders Cup.

Lydia Ko (19), a Korean New Zealander and No. 1 in global rankings, tied for fifth with Hur Mi-jung (27) by posting four under par. Lee Mi-rim (26) and Shin Ji-eun (24) tied for eighth with three under.

강홍구기자 windup@donga.com