'Top Winner' Kim Hanbyeol "2nd Place, 1 Stroke Behind"... Moon Kyungjun Leads for Two Days

Shinhan Donghae Open Day 3: 5-Under Par Daily Best, Seo Yoseop 3rd, No Seung-yeol and Kim Mingyu Among Five Tied for 4th

Kim Hanbyeol is teeing off at the 1st hole on the third day of the Shinhan Donghae Open. Photo by Shinhan Financial Group

[Asia Economy Reporter No Woo-rae] Kim Han-byeol (24, Golfzon), the 'No. 1 in the Order of Merit,' has a chance for her second win.

On the 12th, at Bears Best Cheongna Golf Club in Incheon (par 71, 7,238 yards), Kim rose to 2nd place (10-under 203) on the third day of the KPGA Korean Tour Shinhan Donghae Open (total prize money 1.4 billion KRW) by posting a daily best 5-under par. Last year's Order of Merit winner Moon Kyung-jun (38, Husem) maintained the lead for the second consecutive day (11-under 202), while Seo Yo-seop (24) is in 3rd place (9-under 204), two strokes behind, eyeing a comeback.

Starting from a tie for 17th place, 8 strokes behind, Kim recorded seven birdies and two bogeys. After consecutive birdies on holes 1 and 2, she took a brief breather with a bogey on the 3rd hole (par 3), then fired two sets of back-to-back birdies on holes 6-7 and 11-12, followed by a birdie on the 14th hole (par 5). The only blemish was a bogey on the final 18th hole (par 4). She is just one stroke behind the leader, presenting a great opportunity to claim the top spot again just two weeks after her first career victory at the Hazzys Golf KPGA Open on the 30th of last month.

Mungyeongjun is teeing off at the 3rd hole on the third day of the Shinhan Donghae Open. Photo by Shinhan Financial Group

Moon Kyung-jun, who led by 4 strokes the previous day, faltered with a 2-over par, allowing his competitors to close in. No Seung-yeol (29, Isu Group), who suffered a right ankle injury last month, lost one stroke and is tied for 4th place (8-under 205), three strokes behind. Kim Min-gyu (19, CJ Logistics), Wang Jung-hoon (25), Choi Min-cheol (32), and Hong Jun-ho (38) are also in this group. Lee Tae-hee (36, OK Savings Bank), the 'Maekyung Open champion,' is tied for 20th (5-under 208), and Kim Sung-hyun (22, Golfzon), the 'leading money winner,' is tied for 48th (even par 213).