After the first round of the Epson Tour Championship, a tournament that defines the fate of so many players, Michelle Zhang and Minji Kang swung to the top of the leaderboard with rounds of nine-under par.
Zhang capitalized on her first competitive round at the LPGA International, Jones Course by carding an eagle, eight birdies and just one bogey. Starting on No. 1, the Shen Zhen, China native parred her first four holes before making the first of many birdies on the par-5 5th. Zhang closed out her front nine with a 32 after a three-hole birdie streak on holes 7, 8 and 9.
The 18-year-old extended the streak with birdies on Nos. 10 and 11 before making her sole bogey of the day on the 12th to drop to five-under. She continued along, making birdies on both of the par 3s on the back nine, before closing out her round on the 18th with an eagle.
“Today was just such an amazing day. I literally blacked out. Literally every hole I had amazing approach shots,” Zhang said. “Like six feet by the hole, and it was just every hole I had a pretty makable birdie chance.”
Currently sitting at No. 47 on the Race for the Card list, the former Southern Methodist University student-athlete has a chance to move within the top-35 with a solid performance this week. Since beginning her first year on the Epson Tour in June, Zhang has played in 12 tournaments, making all but just one cut and earning $36,431. Her best finish came just three weeks ago at the Guardian Championship where she finished in a tie for 3rd.
“This is my first year on Epson, so seeing last year's score, I don't know exactly what the score was, but I think it was like 25-, 27-under,” said the 18-hole leader, who was just one shot away from tying the 18-hole scoring record in the history of the Epson Tour Championship. “I knew I had to do something on the first day and just keep myself in a great position. I mean, there is a lot of golf to go but just really staying positive after the first round.”
Alongside Zhang in a tie for first is fellow rookie, Kang. With a tee time off the back nine, the 23-year-old got off to a quick start making a birdie on her first hole. She continued to move up the leaderboard with a pair of birdies on holes 12 and 13 before making her only bogey of the day on the par-3 14th. The Korean made the turn at five-under par, thanks to a birdie on the 16th as well as an eagle on No. 18.
Kang continued her strong play on the front nine, starting hot once again with a pair of birdies on the first two holes. Thanks to her putting, she would make two more birdies on holes 6 and 9 to turn in a nine-under par round to tie Zhang.
“Today was perfect. Like it was windy out there, but my every shot and putting, like I (was) satisfied,” she said. “Yeah, I made some like birdie putts still, but maybe hopefully (more) tomorrow.”
Kang’s 63 is the lowest round of her Epson Tour career, two shots better than her final-round score at the Black Desert Resort Championship presented by Marcella in the beginning of September. The former Truett McConnell University player has played every event in her rookie season, making 19 cuts thus far and recording her best result at the Hartford HealthCare Women’s Championship at T2.
There are currently four players sitting within two shots of the lead including Malaysian player and rookie Ashley Lau (3, -8), LPGA Tour veteran and 2023 Champions Fore Change Invitational winner Alena Sharp (T4, -7), Epson Tour rookie Siri Patchana (T4, -7), and University of Nebraska grad Katherine Smith (T4, -7). Also, there are three additional players at six-under, and three players at five-under headed into Friday.
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