Seo Kyo-rim maintained her lead in the second round of the Inca Financial The Heaven Masters (total prize money 1 billion won) on the Korea Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) Tour.
Seo carded a 7-under-par 65 with nine birdies and two bogeys in the second round held Saturday at The Heaven Country Club's West and South courses (par 72) in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province. After shooting 7-under-par for the second consecutive day, Seo leads alone with a 14-under-par total of 130. Jang Eun-soo sits in second place at 11-under-par 133, three strokes behind. Seo, who achieved her first career victory at the Celltrion Queens Masters on June 7, will compete for her second win in the final round Sunday.
Seo drew attention with steady play. Starting with a birdie on the 10th hole, she rolled in 5-under-par on the front nine alone and continued her birdie run on the back nine without losing momentum. "After my first win, I shed a burden from my heart," Seo said after the round. "The reduced pressure is a big help." She added, "I don't know what will happen on the final day. I won't let my guard down and will focus only on my own play."
Jang added 6-under-par with six birdies and no bogeys to move into sole second place. The 2017 Rookie of the Year, who returned this season after playing on the second-tier tour, signaled her revival by finishing in the top 10 at last month's MBN Women's Open for the first time in six years. Sung Yu-jin and Song Eun-a are tied for third at 10-under-par 134. Kim Min-sol, who won the Korea Women's Open last week, fell out of contention at 1-under-par 143, tied for 59th.
