At the end of the first round in the Kroger Queen City Championship, LPGA Tour stars are at the top, but maybe not the ones people may expect.
Chella Choi, Ina Yoon and Rio Takeda lead at -4, but struggling major champions Jin Young Ko and Lilia Vu are just one stroke back of the lead.
Chella Choi was out on the course early and got started fast with birdies on her first two holes and another one added on her fifth hole of the day. She added three more birdies before dropping shots on her last two holes to finish up at -4.
35-year-old Choi is a one-time winner on the LPGA Tour and is in the midst of a recent return after giving birth to her first child recently.
Rio Takeda, the second-year player from Japan who came in second for rookie of the year in 2025, shook off some of the rust from a slow start in 2026 with a strong -4 round as well.
Takeda made five birdies and one bogey despite hitting just 5/14 fairways. She converted those missed fairways into greens in regulation though, hitting 17/18.
Finally, rounding out the group of leaders, is Ina Yoon, who has been in excellent form recently. She continued that Thursday in Cincinnati, making five birdies, one eagle and three bogeys on her way to a -4 66. Like Takeda, Yoon hit just five fairways, but her putting was excellent, needing only 26 strokes with the flat stick.
The second round of the Kroger Queen City Championship kicks off Friday morning.
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