Yun I-na sits one stroke off lead after round 2 of Lotte Championship

Kim A-lim tied for 5th, Hwang Yu-min tied for 22nd

Yun I-na reads the putting line on the 18th hole during the second round of the LPGA Tour Lotte Championship at Hoakalei Country Club in Ewa Beach, Hawaii, on Saturday (Korean Standard Time). [AFP]

Yun I-na stayed in contention through the second round of the LPGA Tour Lotte Championship on Saturday, keeping her bid for a first tour victory very much alive.

Playing at Hoakalei Country Club (par 72) in Ewa Beach, Hawaii, Yun carded eight birdies and a triple bogey for a 5-under-par 67 on Saturday (Korean Standard Time).

At 11 under par and 133 total, Yun is tied for third alongside Carolina Melgrati of Italy — just one stroke behind co-leaders Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand and Polly Mack of Germany, both at 12 under par and 132.

Yun opened with back-to-back birdies on the first two holes before a triple bogey on the par-4 third threatened to derail her round. "I was so angry I could barely control my emotions," she said afterward. "My caddie helped me stay calm, and from the next hole I was able to refocus."

She quickly steadied herself, picking up a birdie on the par-4 eighth and collecting five more birdies over the final nine holes. "My pitching wedge and 9-iron shots were really good," Yun said. "I was leaving a lot of putts inside three meters, which gave me plenty of birdie chances."

Now in her second year on the LPGA Tour, Yun has yet to win. Her best result remains a runner-up finish at the KPMG Women's PGA Championship, a major, in June.

Hwang Yu-min plays a bunker shot on the 18th hole during the second round of the LPGA Tour Lotte Championship at Hoakalei Country Club in Ewa Beach, Hawaii, on Saturday (Korean Standard Time). [AFP]

Defending champion Hwang Yu-min also bounced back with a strong round, making seven birdies against one bogey for a 6-under 66. After finishing tied for 74th in the first round, Hwang climbed 52 spots to tied for 22nd at 6 under par and 138 total. Ko Jin-young, Ahn Na-rin and Choi Hye-jin are also tied with her at that mark.

Kim A-lim, the 2024 champion who held the outright lead after round one, slipped to tied for fifth after a 3-under 69 featuring four birdies and a bogey, leaving her at 10 under par and 134 total. Im Jin-hee surged to tied for ninth at 8 under par and 136, firing seven birdies with no bogeys.

Lydia Ko of New Zealand, who is chasing the all-time LPGA Tour career earnings record, missed the cut after finishing at 2 under par and 142 total. The cut line was set at 3 under par and 141.

yjc@heraldcorp.com