No Seung-hee celebrates a birdie on the ninth hole. [Photo=KLPGA]
No Seung-hee celebrates a birdie on the ninth hole. [Photo=KLPGA]

No Seung-hee has taken a one-stroke lead at the KLPGA Tour's KG Ladies Open, which carries a purse of 1 billion won ($724,000).

Playing through heavy rain Friday at Turning Point Country Club (par 72) in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, No carded four birdies against one bogey for a 3-under-par 69 in the second round. Her two-round total of 9-under-par 135 put her one stroke ahead of the trio tied for second — Jang Eun-su, Ahn Jae-hee and Thailand's Jaravee Boonchant.

No has history at this event: in 2023 she finished runner-up after losing in a playoff to Seo Yeon-jeong. She had forced extra holes with four birdies and no bogeys on the final day, only to make a bogey in the playoff and fall short.

"I think that experience three years ago was a turning point that helped me grow as a player," No said. "I believe this tournament can once again be a great opportunity for me to grow, and I want to finish with a good result."

No had opened with a 6-under-par 66 to share second place Friday, then moved to the top of the leaderboard with a steady three-stroke improvement Saturday. She was particularly sharp with her irons, most notably on the par-4 17th hole, where she stuck her second shot from 160 meters to within 1.3 meters of the pin to make birdie.

Still winless this season, No reflected on the year after her round. "If I had won in the first half, I think I could have played the rest of the season with a more relaxed mindset — it's a shame I haven't won yet," she said. "I've put myself in a great position at this tournament, and I really want to win."

Jang Eun-su, who claimed her first KLPGA win in 10 years on tour at the Jeju Samdasoo Masters on Aug. 9, shot 1 under Saturday to sit at 8-under 136, tied for second.

Jang holed a mid-range birdie putt from five meters on the par-5 18th hole. She said she was not yet focused on winning. "There are still two rounds left, so I don't think this is the stage to be greedy about the title," she said. "The pin positions are expected to be tough tomorrow, so I think it will be important to consult closely with my caddie and map out a strategy for each hole."

Seo Gyo-rim, chasing her fifth win of the season, traded two birdies and two bogeys for an even-par round, leaving her at 4-under 140 and tied for 18th. First-round leader Lee Seo-yun dropped four strokes and also fell to a share of 18th.


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