Kim Min-sol starts title defense in third place at HJ Shipbuilding & Construction-Dongbu Championship

Defending champion Kim Min-sol opened her title defense in a share of third place Thursday in the first round of the KLPGA Tour HJ Shipbuilding & Construction-Dongbu Championship, which carries a purse of 1 billion won ($747,000).

Kim carded eight birdies and one bogey for 15 points at A-One Country Club (par 72) in Yangsan, South Gyeongsang Province, sitting one point behind co-leaders Choi Ye-bon and Han A-reum, who each posted 16 points.

The tournament uses a modified Stableford scoring format, awarding five points for an eagle, two for a birdie, zero for a par, minus one for a bogey and minus three for a double bogey or worse.

Kim opened with three consecutive birdies on holes 1 through 3 and added another on the par-4 fifth. A bogey on the par-4 eighth cost her a point, but she recovered with a birdie on the par-5 ninth. On the back nine, she reeled off three more consecutive birdies on holes 14 through 16.

Kim claimed her third win of the season at the McColl·Mona Yongpyong Open in June but has not added to her victory total since, finishing runner-up three times and third once. Last week at the Hite Jinro Championship, she tied for second and pushed her season earnings to 1.53 billion won, setting a new KLPGA Tour single-season prize money record.

Kim won last year's edition at Iksan Country Club in North Jeolla Province. This year the tournament has moved to A-One Country Club in Yangsan, South Gyeongsang Province, where she is chasing a second consecutive title and her fourth win of the season.

Park Hyun-kyung, an eight-time winner on the KLPGA Tour, and Kim Min-sun, who has two victories this season, also sit in a share of third place with 15 points each.

Seo Gyo-rim, who leads the tour with four wins this season, had a difficult start, managing just one point on two birdies and three bogeys to begin the week in a tie for 89th.