Yoo Hae-ran "Leading for Three Days"... "A Second Consecutive Win in Sight"

Jeju Samdasoo Masters Day 3: Lee Jeong-eun6 '2nd Place, 5 Strokes Behind', Lim Hee-jeong Leads with 8-Under Par Course Record for 3rd Place

Yoo Hae-ran is teeing off at the 4th hole on the third day of the Jeju Samdasoo Masters. Photo by KLPGA

[Jeju=Asia Economy Golf Specialist Reporter Kim Hyun-jun] '5-stroke lead'

Defending champion Yoo Hae-ran (19ㆍSK Networks) is running away with the lead. On the 1st at Saint Four Golf Resort in Jeju City, Jeju Island (par 72ㆍ6,500 yards), she added 7 under par on the third day of the KLPGA Tour Jeju Samdasoo Masters (total prize money 800 million won) to complete 19 under par 197 strokes. Lee Jeong-eun6 (24ㆍDaebang Construction) is struggling in pursuit in second place (14 under par 202 strokes), and Lim Hee-jeong (20ㆍHanwha Q CELLS) is following in a tie for third place (13 under par 203 strokes).

Yoo Hae-ran started with a 1-stroke lead and swept up 7 birdies. She opened the scoring early with a birdie on the 2nd hole (par 5), followed by an eagle-like birdie on the 6th hole (par 5), and then back-to-back birdies on the 8th and 9th holes to gain momentum. In the back nine, she added a birdie on the 11th hole (par 4) and finished strong with 'stepping stone birdies' on the 16th and 18th holes. Her pinpoint iron shots, missing the green only twice, stood out, complemented by 27 'dry putts'.

This tournament is especially a 'winning stronghold' for her, having made a surprise victory last year as an invited player. It is noteworthy that Yoo Hae-ran currently ranks first in the Rookie of the Year standings (785 points). She is aiming to secure both the title defense and the rookie award, pursuing 'two rabbits at once.' Yoo said, "The pin positions were difficult, but my iron shots were very good," adding, "Especially my mid- to long-distance putting went in well," and vowed, "I will not relax my concentration until the end."

Lim Hee-jeong created excitement by setting a course record of 8 under par. She broke the previous record of 7 under par set by Ahn Sun-ju (33) in the first round of the 2008 Saint Four Ladies Masters by 1 stroke after 12 years. It is interesting that she made two sets of four consecutive birdies on holes 6 to 9 and 15 to 18. Among the leaders, Kim Hyo-joo (25ㆍLotte) is watching for an opportunity in a tie for 5th place (12 under par 204 strokes). World No. 1 Ko Jin-young (25) is tied for 15th place (9 under par 207 strokes), and Park In-bee (32ㆍKB Financial Group) remains tied for 21st place (8 under par 208 strokes).