Kang Chae-yeon holds the lead for the second consecutive round. [Photo=KLPGA]
Kang Chae-yeon holds the lead for the second consecutive round. [Photo=KLPGA]

Kang Chae-yeon, who entered the tournament as a standby player, held the lead for the second consecutive round Saturday at the Jeju Samdasoo Masters, the KLPGA Tour's second-half season opener, which carries a purse of 1 billion won ($705,000).

Kang carded a 3-under-par 69 on Saturday at Teddy Valley Golf & Resort (par 72) in Seogwipo, Jeju Island, posting six birdies against three bogeys to reach a 54-hole total of 12-under-par 204, one stroke ahead of joint runners-up Jang Eun-su and Seo Eo-jin.

Now in her fourth year on tour, Kang finished as a co-runner-up at this same event two years ago when it was held at Blackstone Jeju Golf Club. Poor results last year cost her her tour card, and she has been competing on the Dream Tour, the KLPGA's second-tier circuit, this season.

Kang won the DB HiTek Dream Tour Round 6 event this season and currently sits third in the money rankings on that circuit, a position that would earn her a return to the main tour next year if she holds it. She entered this week's tournament as the 78th alternate and received her spot in the field late, yet has gone on to lead in both the second and third rounds.

Kang picked up birdies on the 1st, 3rd and 5th holes before a three-putt bogey on the par-4 9th. She bounced back with consecutive birdies on the 10th and 11th. On the par-4 11th, her tee shot rolled 296 yards along a cart path, and she still converted a testing 6-meter birdie putt.

Kang then stuck her third shot to within 1.1 meters of the pin for another birdie, but gave strokes back with bogeys on the 16th and 18th to head into the final round with a one-shot lead. On the par-4 16th, her wayward tee shot entered the trees, caromed off a trunk and dropped into a fairway bunker, leading to a bogey. On the par-4 18th, she drove into bare ground under a tree and made another bogey.

"Saturday's round wasn't great overall," Kang said after her round. "The wind made things difficult, but I managed to hole the birdie putts when I needed them most and got through it well."

She added that nerves had held her back two years ago. "The first time I played in the final group here, I was so tense that I played conservatively and couldn't hit the ball well," she said. "Since it's not my first time anymore, I want to play with a bit more confidence tomorrow."

Jang Eun-su, who has yet to win on the main tour, fired a 5-under-par 67 to reach 11-under 205 and share second place with Seo Eo-jin, who also finished 3-under on the day. Jang bogeyed the 1st hole with a three-putt but made six birdies on the remaining holes.

Playing in the final group for the second time this season, Jang said thinking about winning tends to tighten her game. "Rather than focusing on the win itself, I want to concentrate on playing without regrets," she said.

Park Min-ji, chasing her 21st KLPGA career victory — which would be the all-time record on tour — dropped one stroke on the day with one birdie and two bogeys, finishing at 7-under 209 to share sixth place with Choi Jeong-won, Han Jin-seon, Yoo Hyeon-jo, Lee Ji-hyeon and Jeong Seul-gi.

Seo Gyo-rim also fell back, carding a 1-over 73 with one birdie and two bogeys to drop into a tie for 12th at 6-under 210. Kim Min-sol, who barely made the cut, struggled with three consecutive bogeys on holes 2 through 4 and finished tied for 62nd at 2-over 218.


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