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The 592-yard, par-5 third hole. Jung Chan-min's tee shot flew 346 yards before settling on the fairway. His second shot, struck with a 4-iron, traveled 235 yards and stopped within 5 meters of the pin. Jung sank the putt for an eagle.
"Powerhouse long hitter" Jung Chan-min climbed into contention on the second day of the Korea Professional Golfers' Association (KPGA) Tour's KPGA Championship (total purse 1.6 billion won). The second round was held Friday at the A-One Country Club's South-West course (par 71) in Yangsan, South Gyeongsang Province.
Jung carded four birdies, including the eagle, against a single bogey. Adding 6-under par on the day, Jung finished at 7-under 135. After sitting in a tie for 59th on the opening day, Jung surged to the top of the leaderboard.
After the round, Jung said, "My shots were much better than yesterday, but my putting touch actually got worse. It's a shame, because if just a few more putts had dropped, I could have posted an even better score." He added, "Still, my overall play was definitely better than yesterday."
On his strategy for the remaining rounds, Jung said, "Since a good opportunity has come, I do have a desire to win. But being conscious of the win doesn't mean I'll win." He added, "Right now, focusing on my play rather than the result is more important. If I faithfully do what I need to do, the opportunity will come naturally."
An Ji-min shaved three strokes to post a midway total of 8-under 138. Cho Woo-young stood level with Jung at 7-under. GS Caltex Maekyung Open champion Song Min-hyeok, along with Kim Chan-woo and Kim Seung-min, were at 6-under at the midway point.
