Kim Sung-hyun enters the final round holding a one-stroke lead. [Photo=KPGA]
Kim Sung-hyun enters the final round holding a one-stroke lead. [Photo=KPGA]

Kim Sung-hyun reclaimed the lead at the KPGA Tour Hana Bank Invitational (purse: 1.3 billion won, approximately $853,000) with a chip-in eagle on the 18th hole.

Playing in the rain Saturday at Nam Chuncheon Country Club's Victory-Challenge Course (par 71, 7,231 yards) in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, Kim carded a 1-under-par 70 in the third round to reach 8-under 205 for the tournament, moving one stroke ahead of Bae Yong-jun in second place.

The result sets up Kim's bid for his second KPGA Tour title, six years after his 2020 KPGA Championship victory. Kim stepped away from the PGA Tour to fulfill mandatory military service before returning to the domestic circuit. He is also set to represent South Korea at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games in Japan this September.

Kim had trailed by one stroke heading to the 18th hole after posting two birdies and three bogeys through 17 holes, ceding the lead to Bae, who fired a 5-under round. On the par-5 18th, however, Kim holed out from 40 meters for an eagle to move back in front. His third shot — a chip — flew six meters past the hole, but the ball rolled back down the slope, struck the center of the flagstick and dropped in.

After his dramatic finish, Kim described the eagle shot in detail. "My tee shot landed on a downhill slope, making it difficult to attack the green directly," he said. "My second shot with a wood came up shorter than expected. The 40-yard approach from behind the pin ran exactly as I planned and found the hole." He added: "I'm satisfied with how I held up despite the tough conditions. In the final round, I'll try to stay as calm and composed as I was today."

Bae, meanwhile, birdied three consecutive holes — the 16th, 17th and 18th — to claim sole second place heading into Sunday's final round. "I got off to a poor start with a bogey on the first hole," Bae said after his round. "But the rain actually helped me settle down. I turned things around from the second hole onward and managed to birdie my way into contention."

Bae added: "In the final round, I'll focus on each shot rather than fixating on the score. I want to win, but that means I have to stay even calmer and stick to my own game."

Lee Sang-hee, who recorded a hole-in-one on Friday, delivered a flawless round Saturday — five birdies and no bogeys — to reach 6-under 207, joining Japan's Shogenji Tatsunori and China's Chen Guxin in a share of third place. Lee will play alongside Kim and Bae in the final-round champion's group.

Jang Yu-bin, who won the KPGA Classic last week, carded a 2-under round in the rain to sit at 5-under 208, tied for sixth with Lee Gyu-min.

The tournament features 12 players from the Japan Golf Tour Organization and 10 from the China Golf Association. After being co-sanctioned with the Japan tour for three years from 2023 to 2025, the event is now an exclusive KPGA event.


sports@heraldcorp.com