Seo Kyo-rim hits an iron shot on the 13th hole. [Photo=KLPGA]
Seo Kyo-rim hits an iron shot on the 13th hole. [Photo=KLPGA]

Seo Kyo-rim fired an 8-under-par round on the second day of the KLPGA Tour Celltrion Queens Masters to join Kim Su-ji and Kim Min-sun 7 atop the leaderboard.

Playing at Seongmunan Country Club (par 72, 6,615 yards) in Wonju, Gangwon Province on Saturday, Seo carded eight birdies without a bogey to reach 11 under par (133) through two rounds, sharing the lead with Kim Su-ji and Kim Min-sun 7.

Seo, last year's Rookie of the Year, said her focus on avoiding bogeys was the key to a steady scorecard. "Yesterday, things went well on the front nine but my putting and ball-striking both fell apart on the back nine," she said. "Today I just told myself not to make bogeys, and that mindset helped me put up a stable score."

Seo credited her putting for creating birdie opportunities throughout the round. On her form this season, she said she was satisfied with her improvement over last year but made no secret of wanting to do even better.

On the Seongmunan course, Seo said conditions were excellent but warned that tricky situations around the greens required caution. Looking ahead to the final round, she said she would focus on her own game rather than the result. "If I think too hard about winning, I might lose my composure," she said. "I'll stay calm and concentrate on my own play."

She also said she would go aggressively for the green in two on the par-5 holes when the opportunity arose, making clear her desire to win.

Kim Su-ji made the turn after a bogey on the fourth hole, then reeled off six birdies to join the co-lead. Playing in the morning wave, Kim benefited from light winds and ideal course conditions to put together a composed round.

"There was almost no wind in the morning and the course was in great shape — it was a really good environment to play in," Kim said after her round, crediting her putting as the driving force behind her climb to the top of the leaderboard.

"I created some birdie chances with my irons, but the mid-range putts were dropping well," she said, adding that she felt sharp with both her ball-striking and putting. She graded her own performance at 90 out of 100.

On the final round, Kim said she felt equal parts anticipation and pressure but intended to enjoy herself. "Ultimately I need to make a lot of birdies, so I'll play aggressively," she said.

Kim Min-sun 7 also reached the co-lead with six birdies and no bogeys, generating numerous birdie chances with precise approach shots inside 100 meters. She was aggressive enough to go for the green in two on both par-5 holes. "I'll trust myself and play confidently and aggressively with both my swing and my putting," she said.

Ko Ji-u and Park Hye-jun each shot 5 under to sit one stroke back in a tie for fourth at 10 under (134). Ko played with her wrist taped following an injury but said her condition had improved significantly. "I'll keep playing aggressively in the final round," she said. "I'll stay composed, focus only on what I need to do, and play a round I won't regret."

Rookie Yang Hyo-jin, who shared the first-round lead, managed only a 1-under second round and dropped into a tie for sixth at 8 under (136), alongside Park Hyun-kyung, Sung Yu-jin, Kim Min-ju and Kim Ji-su.

Lee Dong-eun, who moved to the LPGA Tour this season, shot a 5-under 67 on Saturday to climb into a tie for 18th at 5 under (139).


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