SHANGHAI — Hye-Jin Choi grabbed the early advantage at the Buick LPGA Shanghai, posting an 8-under 64 on Thursday at Sheshan Golf Club to claim a three-stroke lead after the opening round. Carlota Ciganda sits second after a 67, while defending champion Jeeno Thitikul opened with a 69 to share seventh place.
Choi, who is hunting her first LPGA Tour victory to add to her 12 wins at home, secured her position with four consecutive birdies on her final nine holes, according to the Associated Press. The 64 was the low round of the day and gave her clear separation atop the leaderboard in the sixth edition of the Buick LPGA Shanghai, which is being staged at Sheshan Golf Club for the first time after the course previously hosted the HSBC Champions 11 times as a World Golf Championship event.
Thitikul remains in contention despite the slow start. The defending champion, who won a five-hole playoff against Minami Katsu at this venue in 2025, is coming off her fourth LPGA win of the season and 11th overall at the LOTTE Championship in Hawaii earlier this month. The field is without world No. 1 Nelly Korda, who tops the Vare Trophy standings with a 69.38 average but missed the Lotte Championship and is not playing any of the four Asian events. An LPGA official stated she cannot qualify for the Vare Trophy due to insufficient rounds in 2026, a circumstance that has occurred seven times since 1992 with players such as Nancy Lopez and Annika Sorenstam.
The tournament opens a critical late-season stretch with only six events remaining in the 2026 season. The LPGA begins its fall Asian swing with four consecutive weeks in four different nations, and every shot carries added weight for ranking points and positioning. Sheshan's move as host has added an adjustment period for players learning the layout over the opening rounds.
The Asian swing continues with the BMW Ladies Championship in Korea from October 22-25, followed by the Maybank Championship in Malaysia from October 29 to November 1 and a stop in Japan, before the tour returns to the United States for The Annika driven by Gainbridge at Pelican in Belleair, Florida, from November 12-15 and the CME Group Tour Championship in Naples, Florida, from November 19-22. The second round in Shanghai is set for Friday.