No Seung-hee tees off on the 15th hole. [Photo=KLPGA]
No Seung-hee tees off on the 15th hole. [Photo=KLPGA]

No Seung-hee held the lead for the second consecutive day at the KLPGA Tour's McCall·Mona Yongpyong Open, which carries a purse of 1 billion won ($647,000).

No carded a 3-under-par 69 on Saturday at Birch Hill Country Club (par 72) in Pyeongchang, Gangwon Province, posting four birdies against one bogey to reach a 36-hole total of 12-under-par 132 — two strokes clear of second-place Kim Min-sol.

The result puts No in position to claim her fourth career tour victory wire-to-wire, a year after her win at The Heaven Masters in June last year. "I think holes 15 through 18 are the most important," she said. "The leaderboard could shift a lot in that stretch. My ball-striking has felt good over the two days, so if I can carry that into tomorrow and my putting holds up, I think I can produce a good result."

No started on the 10th hole and played the front nine with nine straight pars. She then reeled off three consecutive birdies on holes 1 through 3 of the back nine, but a three-putt on the par-4 7th gave her the tournament's first bogey on her card. She recovered on the final hole, draining a 1.2-meter birdie putt on the par-4 9th to head into the final round with a two-stroke lead.

Kim Min-sol, the first player on tour this season to reach two wins, applied pressure with a 3-under-par round of five birdies and two bogeys, moving to a 36-hole total of 10-under-par 134. Kim closed her round on a high note, holing a bunker shot to within 1.7 meters of the pin on the par-5 18th and converting the birdie.

Han Jin-sun fired a 5-under-par 67 to reach 9-under-par 135 for the tournament, joining Bae So-hyeon, Choi Ye-rim and Yoo Seo-yeon 2 in a tie for third.

Jaravee Boonchant of Thailand posted a 6-under-par 66 to sit at 8-under-par 136, sharing seventh place with Lee Ga-young, Park Bo-gyeom and Lee Ji-hyeon 3.

Seo Gyo-rim, who claimed her second win last week at the Inca Financial The Heaven Masters, carded an eagle and four birdies against three bogeys for a 3-under-par round, moving to 6-under-par 138 and into a tie for 15th alongside Yang Hyo-jin and Ji Han-sol.


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