Hye-Jin Choi, Minami Katsu lead The Annika with Nelly Korda 2 back

SOUTH KOREA's Hye-Jin Choi rattled off four birdies in a row on the back nine and added another at No. 18 to share the first-round lead with Japan's Minami Katsu at The Annika on Thursday in Belleair, Fla.

Choi and Katsu are one stroke ahead of Lindy Duncan, who had a hole-in-one at the par-3 third, while alone in fourth is World No. 1 Nelly Korda at 7-under 63.

Both Choi and Katsu stayed bogey-free while compiling nine birdies at Pelican Golf Club. The key to Choi's round was making 17 of 18 greens in regulation.

"I think if you miss the green on this course it's going to be really difficult and it's hard to make a good par save," Choi said, "but I really kept on the greens so I made a bogey-free round."

Katsu, meanwhile, hit a perfect 14 of 14 fairways but missed five greens in regulation. She successfully scrambled every time.

Choi is No. 7 in the Race to the CME Globe points list and Katsu entered the week No. 28. However they finish, they're both assured of making next week's CME Group Tour Championship, whose field will consist of the top 60 players in the points race.

Both women are after something else: their first win on the LPGA Tour. Although they're high up in the world rankings, all of Katsu's professional wins have come in her native Japan and Choi's on the LPGA of Korea Tour.

"I still have three rounds to play so I'm going to just keep on doing my work," Choi said.

The CME Globe stakes are more immediate for Duncan, who's 74th in the standings and projected to shoot up to No. 46 if current results hold.

"I mean, felt like I had nothing to lose," Duncan said. "I was coming off four weeks in Asia so a little bit tired, but I know I've been playing well, so just go out there and give it my all and see what happens."

Duncan went out in 6-under 29 thanks to five birdies, one bogey and the ace. She nearly had a second hole-in-one at the par-3 ninth, where her tee shot settled about 3 feet from the cup.

"The start was incredible. I've never been 4 under through three, that's for sure," said Duncan, who used a 6-iron at the 160-yard third hole. "And a birdie on the second hole is always pretty nice because that's a tough hole. So, I mean, to make that hole-in-one, it was just wild. I have so many family and friends out watching and they were going crazy."

Korda, who stayed bogey-free and made five of her seven birdies on the front nine Thursday, will be seeking her second Race to the CME Globe season-long title next week after capturing her first in 2024.

She's already wrapped up a different award, the Rolex Player of the Year.

"The accolades are great," Korda said. "I'm honored to even be in that position. Honored to be the Player of the Year. What drives me is the competitive tournament that I'm in currently. Like I want to do the best that I possibly can where I currently am. After that, everything else is out of my control."

Defending champion Linn Grant of Sweden opened with a 2-under 68. — REUTERS