Kim Sung-hyun enters moving day with a two-stroke lead. [Photo=KPGA]
Kim Sung-hyun enters moving day with a two-stroke lead. [Photo=KPGA]

Kim Sung-hyun, who returned to the KPGA Tour to resolve his mandatory military service obligation, took a two-stroke lead at the Hana Bank Invitational on Friday.

Kim fired a 6-under-par 65 in the second round at Nam Chuncheon Country Club's Victory-Challenge Course (par 71, 7,231 yards) in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, moving to 7 under par (135) for the tournament and pulling two strokes clear of Japan's Ogiso Takashi in second place.

Kim left the PGA Tour and returned to South Korea to address his military service status. If he wins a gold medal — in either the individual or team event — at the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, in September, he will qualify for a military exemption and be able to rejoin the PGA Tour. Kim is set to represent South Korea alongside Kim Joo-hyung and Moon Do-yeob.

Kim navigated a demanding course setup with precise ball-striking and steady putting, carding seven birdies against one bogey to claim the outright lead. He birdied the 2nd and 3rd holes consecutively, added another at the 7th to finish the front nine 3 under, then closed out the back nine with back-to-back birdies at the 10th and 11th and again at the 17th and 18th.

"Getting birdies early let me play the whole round in a relaxed state of mind," Kim said after his round. "The course demands a lot of patience, and when the opportunities came, the putts dropped at the right moments, which helped me put together a good score. The forecast calls for strong winds and rain over the weekend, so there will be plenty of variables. That makes it even more important to stay patient and composed — just like I did Thursday and today."

The Asian Games in September represent a pivotal moment in Kim's career. At the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games, fellow PGA Tour players Im Sung-jae and Kim Si-woo resolved their military obligations by winning team gold, setting a precedent Kim is now hoping to follow in Nagoya.

Ogiso, the 2024 champion at this event, shot a 4-under 67 — five birdies, one bogey — to sit alone in second place at 5 under (137).

"Starting birdie-birdie in both rounds one and two gave me good momentum," Ogiso said. "I got into a rhythm early and the game flowed smoothly across both days. My KPGA Tour card expires at the end of this year, so I really want to win this week and secure another two-year exemption. I'd like to keep playing on the KPGA Tour as much as possible going forward."

Eom Jae-woong carded a 3-under 68 to reach 4 under (138) for the tournament, joining Kang Yun-seok, Japan's Semakawa Taiga and China's Gu Xinchen in a tie for third.

Wang Jeong-hun, who shared the first-round lead, dropped one stroke to 3 under (139) and fell into a tie for seventh alongside Jang Yu-bin, Lee Hyung-jun and others.

Lee Sang-hee made a hole-in-one on the par-3 3rd hole from 177 yards, earning a Ceragem Master V9 and a Fauze M6 as prizes. Lee sits at 1 under (141) in a tie for 24th alongside Kim Min-gyu, Ok Tae-hoon and others.


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