Jeongeun Lee6 staked her place in the history books Friday at the Evian Championship, firing a 10-under 61, tying the lowest round ever in a major championship.
“It was so amazing,” Lee6 said after her round.
The round ties Hyo Joo Kim’s 61 from Round 1 of the 2014 Evian. But however incredible the record-tying round was, Lee6 wasn’t totally satisfied with her game.
“I didn’t feel my best,” she said. “My swing is still not perfect, but I try to focus on one shot at a time and my backswing shape and rhythm. I focus on just process. I didn’t dwell on the results. I focused on the process.”
The 61 pushed Lee6’s name to the top of the leaderboard as she opened up a three-stroke lead over second-place Pajaree Anannarukarn. Lee6’s 127 total of 15 under is a record for LPGA majors, breaking the previous low of 129 set by In Gee Chun in 2016.
Lee6 began her day on the back nine and birdied two of her first three holes early in the round. She bookended her first nine with two more birdies to make the turn at four under before adding another at the 1st.
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The former major winner parred the next two holes, and then finished the round with a flourish. Lee6 birdied five of her final six holes — including a chip-in at the 8th — for a back-nine 29 that cemented her place in the record books.
“Every putt looked like it was going to go in,” said her caddie, David Buhai. “I had the best seat in the house, and I just kept my mouth shut. I wasn’t getting involved because she was that focused. It was just incredible.”
Lee6 hit 10 of 13 fairways and 15 greens on the day, and she only needed 23 putts to card her 10 birdies. She is seeking her first victory since winning the U.S. Women’s Open in 2019.
“What an honor,” she said. “It’s amazing.”