England’s Mimi Rhodes shares lead with South Korea’s Hye-Jin Choi at PIF Saudi Women’s International

England’s Mimi Rhodes shot an 8-under 64 in the first round to share the lead at the PIF Saudi Women’s International.

Rhodes had a breakout season in 2025, winning three times on the Women’s European Tour and finishing second on the money list, while also earning Rookie of the Year honors and earning her LPGA Tour card through Q-School.

The 24-year-old from Taunton birdied the second, fifth and seventh holes on the front nine and then added birdies on the 10th, 11th, 12th, 15th and 16th holes.

South Korea’s Choi Hye-jin had six birdies on the front nine to share the lead with Rhodes. Her only miss of the day was on the ninth hole.

Japan’s Chizzy Iwai shot a 7-under 65 in the first round in Riyadh and was one shot behind in third place.

Two players were tied for fourth place, Belgium’s Manon DeRoy and Thailand’s Patty Thavathanakit both at 6 under par.

“Obviously everything went well for me today,” Rhodes said after sharing the lead. “Having had a lot of time off (during the winter break), I was a little nervous at the beginning. I came up short on a few putts, but the game felt really solid.

“I missed a couple greens on the front nine, but I hit some ups and downs. On the back nine, I forgot about my score and tried to make as many birdies as possible. I don’t think I missed a green on the back nine, so everything felt good. My putts were spot on.

“I think this course has been the best for me. The greens have improved a lot, they roll really well, I got used to their speed early on and put a lot of focus on the practice rounds.

“I’ve been focusing on breakaways and green speed, and it paid off today. I feel really comfortable with my overall game.”