South Korea’s Kim A-lim overcomes tough winds to lead at the HSBC Women’s World Championship

On February 27, strong winds caused problems at the Sentosa Golf Club’s Tanjong Course. Despite the tough conditions, South Korea’s Kim A-lim took the lead with a four-under 68 in the first round of the US$2.4 million (S$3.2 million) tournament. 

England’s Charley Hull was one stroke behind in second place, while Minjee Lee, Yin Ruoning, Choi Hye-jin, and Gaby Lopez were tied for third at 70. 

Speaking about her round, Kim said: “It was great because I had a really great short field and putter. There was a lot of wind, a lot of swirling, and it’s not consistent, so it was hard to read.” 

She added: “But everybody is in the same hard situation because we couldn’t control the wind, and I have three more rounds to learn.” 

Kim’s current performance 

The 2020 US Open champion has had a strong start to the season, winning the Tournament of Champions in February and finishing sixth at the Honda LPGA Thailand last week. 

Kim said her good form is due to changes she made to her game. These include hitting a fade instead of a draw, working on approach shots from 130 yards or less, and improving her putting from six yards to closer. 

In the recent match, she saw the results of her hard work, hitting 13 out of 14 fairways and reaching 15 greens in regulation. She had five birdies and one bogey,

The athlete said: “I’m going to keep working on my stuff because the result is not in my control, so I’m just going to keep working on my process.”