Kim and Li share early Genesis Championship lead
Haotong Li. Picture: Getty Images
MK Kim and Haotong Li carded six under par opening rounds of 65 to share the lead after the first day of the Genesis Championship.
China’s Li set the early clubhouse target after his bogey-free effort at Woo Jeong Hills Country Club and was joined on that number by Korean Kim, who carded eight birdies during his first round.
Li won his fourth DP World Tour title earlier this season at the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters and has his sights set on earning dual-membership with the PGA TOUR as one of the leading ten players on the Race to Dubai Rankings at the end of the season.
Kim is seeking a third victory at this venue after winning the Kolon Korea Open when it was staged at Woo Jeong Hills in 2022 and 2024. The 24-year-old also made history in 2017 as the youngest winner in European Tour group history when he won the HotelPlanner Tour’s D+D REAL Czech Challenge.
Alejandro del Rey of Spain carded a five under par round of 66 to sit in solo third place, one shot clear of seven golfers in a share of fourth on four under par, including Laurie Canter, Ewen Ferguson and Elvis Smylie, who have all won on the 2025 Race to Dubai.
The Genesis Championship is the final regular event of the DP World Tour season, with the Top 110 on the Race to Dubai Rankings at the conclusion of this week earning playing rights for the 2026 season.
With five players counted as ‘in addition’, the cut-off sits at 115th place, with 2021 Ryder Cup player Bernd Wiesberger occupying the final spot after a two over par opening round of 73.
Player Quotes
Haotong Li: “Very pleased to finish like this, especially with a couple of up and downs on the last four holes. Those were very important to keep momentum going.
“The greens are very tricky and fast. You have to put yourself in the right positions, also off the tee as well. Off the tee, I did well until the last couple of holes. That’s the key for the week.
“I definitely just need to focus on my game. I know the points list (for PGA TOUR cards) is getting tighter and tighter. I just need to play my game and hopefully there are some good results coming up.”
MK Kim: “I’m really happy with today. I putted really well. My shots weren’t great but a saved a lot and made a good score.
“I holed a bunker shot and made a lot of putts, that’s what went well today.
“The course is great. I’ve played here a lot of times, so I’m used to it. The greens are in really good condition, so I can putt well on them.
“They (the fans) are supporting me a lot and it really cheers me up.”
Alejandro del Rey: “It was very nice to get it going quite early in the round. It feels like my game is there but scores haven’t been showing up. I feel like it’s been very close the last couple of months. It’s good to get a round going and get a good score.
“It’s a tricky course, it’s tough. It’s long in the morning because it’s cold for the first tee times, the ball goes nowhere. You’re hitting very long irons into par threes, so they are playing tough, and there are some tricky par fives. Scoring won’t be super low. It’ll be a tough week to put together four good rounds out there.”
Scores
