SOLDEN, Austria (AP) — Mikaela Shiffrin led after the first run of the women’s giant slalom on Saturday as the Alpine ski racing season started in Sölden, Austria.
The American star was fastest down the course on the Rettenbach glacier with a time of 1 minute, 7.27 seconds. Sweden’s Sara Hector was next, followed by Camille Rast of Switzerland.
The second run is later Saturday.
Shiffrin’s sixth World Cup overall title last season equaled the women’s record set in the 1970s by Austrian great Annemarie Moser-Pröll.
But the Olympic slalom champion has called this campaign an “exploration season” in which she will reduce her slalom races and focus more on giant slalom and super-G.
The 31-year-old hasn’t won a giant slalom race in nearly three years, going back to December 2023, while her last super-G victory was in 2022.
Shiffrin used to race and win in all disciplines, but she had reduced her schedule in recent years after she endured terrifying crashes in a downhill in Cortina in early 2024 and a GS in Killington 10 months later. Her 22 career victories in giant slalom remain the women’s record, as are her 73 wins in slalom and 110 wins overall.
See AP’s full Alpine skiing coverage here
United States' Mikaela Shiffrin starts an alpine ski, women's World Cup giant slalom, in Soelden, Austria, Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti)
United States' Mikaela Shiffrin smiles at the start of an alpine ski, women's World Cup giant slalom, in Soelden, Austria, Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti)
United States' Mikaela Shiffrin competes in an alpine ski, women's World Cup giant slalom, in Soelden, Austria, Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Alessandro Trovati)
HAENAM, South Korea (AP) — Hye-Jin Choi had an eagle and seven birdies on her first 11 holes Saturday on a rain-soaked Pine Beach Golf Links to shoot a 6-under 66 and move into a tie for second place after three rounds of the LPGA South Korea tournament.
Second-round leader Haeran Ryu, who birdied her last three holes, still led the tournament by four strokes after a 4-under 68 and a three-round total of 17-under 199.
Choi shot 28 on her front nine and was 9-under before she bogeyed the par-5 12th after hitting into a fairway bunker. She made a double-bogey seven on the 17th after missing an eight-foot par putt after hitting into hazard off the green with her fairway wood.
“I had a really good score on the front nine. I felt good about my ball-striking early on, so I was able to play confidently and make a lot of birdie putts, which helped,” Choi said. “I’m a little disappointed with how I played on the back nine.”
Steady rain forced course officials to use roller squeegees to remove water from the greens. Most of the final groups took six hours to complete their rounds.
Minji Park shot 65 and was also tied for second with Choi and Yuri Yoshida (68).
Choi is still looking for her first victory in 125 career LPGA Tour starts as a member. She has held or shared a 54-hole lead five times in her LPGA career without converting it into a win.
Last week in Shanghai, Choi was runner-up by one stroke to China's Ruoning Yin after the South Korean golfer led after each of the first three rounds.
Defending champion Sei Young Kim, who ended a five-year victory drought in 2025 with a win last year in South Korea, shot 77 Saturday and was at even par.
In its late-season Asian swing, the LPGA Tour moves to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia next week for the Maybank Championship, the third of four events.
See AP’s full golf coverage here
South Korea's Haeran Ryu tees off on the 18th hole during the third round of the LPGA BMW Ladies Championship at Pine Beach Golf Links in Haenam, South Korea, Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
South Korea's Haeran Ryu walks on the 18th green during the third round of the LPGA BMW Ladies Championship at the Pine Beach Golf Links, in Haenam, South Korea, Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
South Korea's Hye-jin Choi watches her shot on the 18th hole during the third round of the LPGA BMW Ladies Championship at the Pine Beach Golf Links, in Haenam, South Korea, Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
South Korea's Haeran Ryu lines up a putt on the 18th green during the third round of the LPGA BMW Ladies Championship at the Pine Beach Golf Links, in Haenam, South Korea, Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
