Park Min-ji tees off on the first hole during the second round of the Jeju Samdasoo Masters on Friday. [KLPGA]
Park Min-ji tees off on the first hole during the second round of the Jeju Samdasoo Masters on Friday. [KLPGA]

Park Min-ji, who shares the KLPGA record for most career victories, is chasing sole ownership of that mark at the Jeju Samdasoo Masters, which carries a purse of 1 billion won ($705,000).

Park, a 20-time winner on the KLPGA Tour, carded a 7-under-par 65 on Friday at Teddy Valley Golf and Resort (par 72) in Seogwipo, Jeju, collecting eight birdies against a single bogey in the second round.

After opening with a 71 that left her tied for 30th, Park moved to 8-under 136 to join Choi Jeong-won, Moon Jeong-min, Seo Eo-jin and Shin Da-in in a share of second place. She sits one stroke behind solo leader Kang Chae-yeon, who fired a 4-under round to reach 9-under 135.

Park claimed her 20th career title at the SH Suhyup Bank MBN Women's Open in May, drawing level with Ku Ok-hee and Shin Ji-ae. One more victory would give her the record outright.

Playing through intense heat, Park came out of the gate with three consecutive birdies from the first hole. She dropped a shot at the par-5 fourth after missing a 6-meter birdie putt, but immediately bounced back with a birdie at the par-4 fifth. She added four more birdies on the back nine, hitting every green in regulation and converting a string of putts inside 4 meters.

"I got off to a great start with three straight birdies, which kept the momentum going and let me play aggressively," Park said. She added that she had spent the KLPGA's off-week doing CPX rounds in Japan but struggled with her ball-striking the previous week. "In this tournament, though, I've found my stability," she said.

The leaderboard is tightly packed within three strokes of the lead, setting up a fierce final-round battle. Seo Gyo-rim, seeking her third win of the season, went 2-under 70 with five birdies and three bogeys to reach 7-under 137, tied for seventh at the halfway point.

Kim Min-sol, who has three wins this season, scraped through the cut on the number at 1-over 145, tied for 59th after two rounds.

Ko Ji-won, defending her title in her home province of Jeju, missed the cut after posting a combined 4-over 148 over two days.


yjc@heraldcorp.com