Kim Leads at Fortinet Founders Cup as Maguire and Walsh Face Uphill Battle
Menlo Park, Calif. – Hyo Joo Kim surged to the top of the leaderboard at the Fortinet Founders Cup on Thursday, carding a remarkable nine-under 63 at Sharon Heights Golf & Country Club. The opening round saw challenging conditions for many, while Irish golfers Leona Maguire and Lauren Walsh found themselves facing an uphill battle to make the cut.
Kim Sets the Pace with Flawless Round
Kim’s impressive performance was capped off by an eagle on the par-5 18th hole. Despite the stellar finish, Kim emphasized her satisfaction with avoiding bogeys throughout the round. “I am just so satisfied I had no bogeys,” Kim stated. “I had some mistakes in the beginning, but I was able to save them. I ended with an eagle, so I ended pretty happily.” She described relying on the cheers of the crowd to confirm her eagle putt dropped.
Lee and Mack Challenge for Second Place
LPGA rookie Dongeun Lee also posted a strong showing, finishing the day at 65 with an eagle on the 18th. Polly Mack of Germany is tied with Jin Hee Im after a 66, overcoming a double bogey on the 10th. Mack attributed her success to accuracy off the tee and strong wedge play. “Hit a lot of fairways and greens and left myself with a lot of birdie chances,” Mack said. “Had a lot of wedges into greens, and that’s what I’ve been working on the most this offseason. It’s solid to see that coming into play and really coming along and seeing that progress.”
Maguire and Walsh Struggle in Opening Round
Both Leona Maguire and Lauren Walsh currently sit at two-over-par, two shots outside the provisional cutline. Maguire’s round was marred by a quadruple bogey on the par-4 second hole, despite recovering with birdies on two of the following seven holes. Walsh parred her first 11 holes before a mixed back nine, including a double bogey on the closing hole, left her alongside Maguire. Both players will need to post rounds in the 60s on Friday to realistically contend for a weekend tee time.
Tournament Details
The Fortinet Founders Cup is being held at Sharon Heights Golf & Country Club in Menlo Park, California, with a purse of $3 million. The tournament runs from March 19-22, 2026.
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