Suh Kyo-rim, who claimed the Rookie of the Year title on the Korea Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) Tour last year, surged into a share of the lead on the second day of the Celltrion Queens Masters, setting the stage for her first career victory on the regular tour.
Suh shot an 8-under-par 64 with a flawless round of eight birdies and no bogeys in the second round of the tournament held Friday at Sungmunan Country Club (par 72) in Wonju, Gangwon Province. With a midway total of 11-under-par 133, Suh tied for first place alongside Kim Soo-ji and Kim Min-sun, who climbed into contention by cutting five and six strokes, respectively.
Suh, who joined the KLPGA stage in the 2024 season, did not lift a trophy in her debut year. However, she earned Rookie of the Year honors after consecutive runner-up finishes at the K-Food Nolboo & Hwami Masters and the S-Oil Championship. Her momentum continued this season. With a second-place finish at The Siena Open in April and third place at the E1 Charity Open in May, Suh has consistently ranked among the leaders while taking aim at her maiden victory, and on Friday she rapidly cut strokes on the strength of her sharp shot-making.
Teeing off at the 10th hole (par 4) on Friday, Suh made consecutive birdies at the 11th and 12th holes to fine-tune her touch. She then picked up stepping-stone birdies at the 16th hole (par 5) and the 18th hole (par 5), cutting four strokes on the front nine alone. The momentum did not fade on the back nine. After consecutive birdies at the first and second holes, Suh birdied the sixth hole (par 3) and capped her "birdie show" by sinking a long birdie putt of more than 8 meters at the eighth hole (par 3).
The race at the top remains shrouded in fog. Kim Soo-ji, who started tied for third, combined six birdies with one bogey to cut five strokes, while Kim Min-sun submitted a clean scorecard with six birdies to join the group of co-leaders.
The chase from players seeking their second career win was also fierce. Park Hye-jun, who recorded her first win at the Lotte Open last July, made a thrilling start with a shot eagle at her first hole, the 10th (par 4). After adding three more birdies on the front nine to cut five strokes, Park missed a short par putt at the first hole (par 4) on the back nine for her first bogey. She made up for it, however, with a 14-meter long birdie putt at the fourth hole (par 5). Park, alongside Ko Ji-woo, who cut five strokes with no bogeys, sat tied for fourth at a midway total of 10-under-par 134, pressing the lead group by one stroke.
Kim Min-ju, who cut six strokes by finishing with a birdie at the final 18th hole (par 5), followed in sixth place with a midway total of 9-under-par 135. Yang Hyo-jin, who had started the second round as a co-leader, made five birdies but was tripped up by two bogeys and one double bogey, settling for a 1-under-par 71. Yang recorded a midway total of 8-under-par 136 to be part of the group tied for seventh.
Meanwhile, Park Min-ji, who is aiming for the most career wins in KLPGA Tour history and her fifth title at this tournament, managed to cut only one stroke on Friday. With a midway total of 4-under-par 140, Park remained tied for 27th alongside defending champion Lee Ga-young.
