12-time winner Sei Young Kim wasted no time making her presence known at Qizhong Garden Golf Club setting a pair of records, the 9-hole and 18-hole tournament scoring records. Kim shot a 28 on the back nine, beating the previous record of 30 set by defending champion Angel Yin in 2018 and last done by Madelene Sagstrom in 2023. Taking that momentum, Kim went on to set the new 18-hole scoring record, last done by Sagstrom in the fourth round of 2023 as well.
“After turn the nine hole I'm kind of, oh, I shoot 8-under. I never play like that, so I was a little bit of nervous,” Kim said about what she was thinking when she realized how well she was playing. “I don't know. Then I try to calm down but after that my body reaction a little bit like tight, and then after couple holes I keep par and after bogey one hole, and I realize, okay, I just keep going what I did is front nine, and I able to knock three birdies and strong finish.”
