South Korea’s Somi Lee fired a spectacular career-best round of eight-under-par 64 to seize an early lead at the LPGA’s season-ending CME Group Tour Championship in Florida. The 26-year-old made a strong statement in her first appearance at the prestigious season finale, opening up a two-shot advantage over American Allisen Corpuz after round one.

Lee’s Impressive First-Round Performance

Lee, currently ranked 50th in the world, was flawless on her way to an impressive scorecard:

• Front nine: Four birdies
• Back nine: Three birdies plus an eagle on the 17th
• Only blemish: Bogey on the 18th hole

Reflecting on her performance, Lee said:

“It’s an honour playing my first Tour Championship and I don’t think I was necessarily in a position to be nervous about anything. I thought to myself ‘whatever the score is or how I play, let’s just prepare for next year’s season.’ I think that kind of alleviated the stress in today’s round to be able to get a better score.”

Chase for the Title: Corpuz, Thitikul, and Others

American Allisen Corpuz sits two strokes behind at six under, while world number one and defending champion Jeeno Thitikul is one of four players at five under, closely trailing Lee. Thitikul also leads the Race to CME Globe rankings, making her a formidable contender in the 60-player field at Tiburon Golf Club.

Europe’s top performers include:

• Germany: Esther Henseleit – 4 under (tie for 7th)
• Sweden: Madelene Sagstrom – 4 under (tie for 7th)
• England: Charley Hull – 3 under, despite a double-bogey on the 10th
• England: Lottie Woad – 2 under

American Nelly Korda, ranked world number two, overcame early bogeys on holes two and three to finish the day at one under, still in search of her first win of the season.

Record Prize Money on the Line

The CME Group Tour Championship boasts a total prize purse of $11 million (£8.4m), making it the most lucrative tournament on the LPGA schedule. The $4 million (£3.1m) winner’s cheque is the largest in women’s golf and ranks as the third biggest in all professional golf, behind the men’s Tour Championship ($10m/£7.6m) and The Players Championship ($4.5m/£3.4m).

With 28 of the 29 winners from the 2025 season competing, the final event of the LPGA season promises a thrilling conclusion, with Somi Lee looking to cap her breakthrough performance with a landmark victory.