Park Ye-ji enters the final round with a one-stroke lead. [Photo=KLPGA]
Park Ye-ji enters the final round with a one-stroke lead. [Photo=KLPGA]

Park Ye-ji has reclaimed the lead at the KLPGA Tour's Lotte Open.

Park fired a 4-under-par 68 on Saturday — six birdies against two bogeys — at Bears Best Cheongna Golf Club's US/Australasia Course (par 72) in Incheon's Seo-gu to move to 13-under 203 for the tournament, one stroke clear of the three-way tie for second shared by Yu Hyeon-jo, Lee Se-hee and Lee Da-yeon.

Park had surged to the top of the leaderboard with a 7-under opening round, but a modest 2-under effort on Friday left her trailing heading into Saturday's third round. She responded with another 4-under card to reclaim a one-stroke advantage heading into Sunday's final round. Park played alongside Kim Min-sol, Yu Hyeon-jo and Seo Gyo-rim on the national team, but remains the only one among that group still seeking her first win on the regular tour.

Park had entered the third round one stroke behind leader Moon Jeong-min. She picked up a birdie from 2.9 meters at the par-5 sixth hole, then strung together back-to-back birdies at the 11th and 12th to build momentum. A tee shot into the fairway bunker at the par-4 13th led to a bogey, but she bounced back with consecutive birdies at the 14th and 15th — holing a 6.8-meter putt at the par-5 14th and a 3.7-meter putt at the par-4 15th.

Park appeared set to hold a one-stroke lead heading down the stretch, but she missed the green at the par-3 17th and then lipped out a 1.8-meter par putt, allowing the field to draw level. She answered at the last, draining a testing 3.4-meter birdie putt at the par-4 18th to restore her one-shot advantage going into the final round.

Chasing her first tour title, Park said she was uncertain what Sunday would bring. "I honestly don't know how I'll feel tomorrow," she said. "But I'm not going to let playing in the final pairing intimidate me — if anything, I want to use it as confidence and go out and play boldly."

Yu Hyeon-jo fist-bumps her caddie after making a birdie at the fifth hole. [Photo=KLPGA]
Yu Hyeon-jo fist-bumps her caddie after making a birdie at the fifth hole. [Photo=KLPGA]

Yu Hyeon-jo posted a bogey-free, four-birdie round to join the three-way tie for second and set up a charge at the title on Sunday. She had a chance to close the gap further, creating a birdie opportunity from one meter at the par-4 18th, but missed the putt and will enter the final round as a one-stroke pursuer.

Yu, who has been sponsored by Lotte Group since this year, said the occasion added to her nerves. "It's the main sponsor's tournament, so I'm excited but also nervous," she said. "I know that wanting to win too badly can work against you, so I'll try to keep that desire in check, stay focused on my shots and give everyone a performance I can be proud of."

Lee Da-yeon also carded a bogey-free four-birdie round to join the tie for second, while Lee Se-hee added three birdies without a bogey to complete the three-way group. Lee Se-hee hit her tee shot into the fairway bunker at the par-4 16th but stuck her second shot to within a meter of the pin to convert the birdie.

Kim Hyo-joo moved into sole fifth place at 10-under 206 after a 1-under round. She was cruising through 12 holes with three birdies, but a second shot into the penalty area at the par-4 13th resulted in a double bogey, leaving her three strokes off the pace heading into the final round.

Moon Jeong-min, who had entered the third round with a one-stroke lead, dropped one shot on the day — two birdies against three bogeys — to fall to sole sixth place at 9-under 207.

Seo Gyo-rim shot a 3-under 69 to sit tied for ninth at 7-under 209. Kim Min-sol is tied for 15th at 6-under 210 alongside Park Min-ji and Ma Da-som, among others, after a 2-under round.


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