"Even in poor condition..." That's why Kim Hyo-ju is so impressive, she holds second place in the 2nd round... Moon Jeong-min takes sole lead with a jump [KLPGA]

*This content was translated by AI.

Kim Hyo-ju (31, Lotte) is increasing her chances of winning a main sponsor tournament.

On the 3rd, Kim recorded a 3-under-par 69 with four birdies and one bogey in the second round of the KLPGA Tour Lotte Open (total prize money 1.2 billion won) held at Bear's Best Cheongra, Seo-gu, Incheon (par 72).

Kim, who recorded a cumulative total of 9-under-par 135, tied for second place with Lee Se-hee (Samcheonri) and Park Ye-ji (KB Financial Group). She trails sole leader Moon Jeong-min (Dongbu Construction), who moved to the top alone with a 4-stroke reduction to 10-under-par 134.

After securing her first birdie on the 3rd hole (par 3), Kim hit consecutive perfect iron shots on the 5th (par 4) and 6th holes (par 5) to grab back-to-back birdies.

On the 7th hole (par 3), her tee shot veered to the right of the green, followed by a decent approach, but she missed the par putt and lost a stroke.

Unable to reduce her score further and continuing with pars, Kim sank a roughly 4-meter birdie putt on the final 18th hole (par 4) to finish the second round in joint second place.

After sweeping two victories in a row at the LPGA Tour Founders Cup and Ford Championship in March, Kim climbed to the top of the leaderboard again at the KLPGA Tour NH Investment & Securities Ladies Championship held domestically in May, showcasing an amazing high-altitude run.

Participating alongside LPGA Tour players Hwang Yu-min and Choi Hye-jin (both Lotte) in a main sponsor tournament, Kim aims for her first Lotte Open title since 2020 and her 16th career win on the KLPGA Tour.

According to the KLPGA Tour, after completing the second round, Kim Hyo-ju said, "I think today's overall round was definitely harder than yesterday. As I moved toward the later holes, I felt my body getting heavier, which made it physically difficult, and my concentration wavered a bit. In the end, my overall shot feel was worse than yesterday, so I struggled, but fortunately, I managed to navigate through crises well even in poor condition and finished."

She continued, "When things go smoothly, my mind goes blank and I just immerse myself in playing without any thoughts. On the other hand, when shots don't connect, my mind races, so at those times, I tell myself not to get greedy. Golf is a sport where the more you obsess when things aren't going well, the deeper you fall into a maze. So on days when the ball doesn't go straight, I give up bold strategies aiming directly for the pin and instead focus on safely landing the ball in the middle of the green, playing to secure par."

Kim Hyo-ju said, "I'm glad to be able to end two consecutive days with my name at the top of the leaderboard," and vowed, "Keeping the thought of winning in mind, I will maintain my concentration for the remaining two days."

Hwang Yu-min, who started the second round in joint second place, managed only a one-stroke reduction with three birdies and two bogeys, dropping to ninth place, three strokes behind the leader, with a 7-under-par 137.

Choi Hye-jin started in joint 21st place after reducing her score by three strokes on the first day, but managed only a one-stroke reduction today, falling to joint 22nd place with a 4-under-par 140.

Moon Jeong-min, who finished the first round in joint second place, reduced her score by four strokes today to take sole lead. She is one step closer to her second career win, 1 year and 10 months after the Daebow House Design Open in September 2024.

Kim Min-sol (Doosan Construction), who leads the season with three wins and tops the standings in major awards, prize money, and rookie points, played a round with Kim Hyo-ju. After reducing her score by three strokes on the first day, she managed only one stroke today, remaining in joint 22nd place alongside Choi Hye-jin and Seo Gyo-rim (Samcheonri).

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*This content was translated by AI.