Can Ji-ae Shin (35) and Yu-jin Seong (23) become ‘Happy Sunday’?
In the second round of the JLPGA Tour KKT Vantelin Ladies Open (total prize money of 100 million yen) held at the Kumamoto Airport Country Club (par 71) in Kumamoto, Japan on the 15th, Shin Ji-ae tied 6 birdies and 4 bogeys to finish 2 under par. I wrote 70 strokes.
Shin Ji-ae, who recorded an interim total of 8 under par 136, was named the sole leader, one stroke behind second-place Akie Iwai (Japan). If she wins this time, she will achieve her second win of the season and her 28th win on the JLPGA Tour.
In this three-round tournament, Shin Ji-ae had a rather poor shot feeling with a fairway landing rate of 57.14% and a green accuracy rate of 61.11%, but the game sense was not bad, with 27 putts.
In the first half, Shin Ji-ae, who achieved three consecutive birdies on holes 1 to 3, also added her birdie on hole 6 (par 4). Having reduced 4 strokes in the first half alone, he recorded bogeys during three holes in the 10th hole (par 4) and 13th and 14th holes in the second half.
Shin Ji-ae, who made up for bogeys in the second half by catching a birdie on the 15th hole (par 4), bogeyed on the 17th hole (par 4) and also bounced back with a birdie on the 18th hole (par 5) to finish the round.
He said, “It was difficult in the second half, but today the weather was good, so I expected the green to be faster. Rather than worrying about winning, I want to play a game that surprises the gallery people.”
Following Shin Ji-ae, there was also someone who expected a victory from the morning of this day. Eugene Sung reduced one more stroke in the 3rd round of the LPGA Tour Lotte Championship (total prize money of 2 million dollars) held at Hoakalay Country Club (par 72) in Ewa Beach, Hawaii, USA, leading alone with a median total of 9 under par 207 strokes kept.
If Sung Yu-jin reaches the top this time,안전놀이터 it will be the first non-member LPGA Tour victory since Maya Stark won the ISPS Handa World Invitational in Sweden in August last year. It is the first Korean player since Kim A-lim (28), who reached the top at the 2020 US Women’s Open.
If Shin Ji-ae and Seong Yu-jin win, we can hear the news of the Korean players’ two wins on the overseas tour on the 16th. Attention is focusing on whether the ‘Happy Sunday’ of Korean players can be completed.