'4-Win Champion' Park Minji "Perfect 8-Under on Difficult Course"... Park Hyunkyung 2nd Place

Korean Women's Open Day 3: 1-Stroke Lead "Major Victory Secured", Lee Jeong-min 3rd, Jang Ha-na Tied 4th

Park Min-ji is teeing off on the 1st hole on the third day of the Korean Women's Open. Photo by DB Group Korean Women's Open Organizing Committee

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyun-jun, Golf Specialist] ‘8-under-par daily best’.

It is the ‘moving day spurt’ of Park Min-ji (23, NH Investment & Securities), the ‘4-win champion’. On the 19th, at Rainbow Hills Golf Club in Eumseong-gun, Chungbuk (par 72, 6,763 yards), the third day of the KLPGA Tour DB Group Korea Women's Open (total prize money 1.2 billion KRW), she surged with an 8-under-par round to immediately take the top spot on the leaderboard (15-under-par 201 strokes). Park Hyun-kyung (20, Korea Land & Trust) is positioned 1 stroke behind in 2nd place (14-under-par 202 strokes), setting up another showdown in the champion group on the final day.

Park Min-ji collected 8 birdies. She started strong with consecutive birdies on holes 1 and 2, followed by a birdie on hole 5 (par 4), a three-birdie streak on holes 11 to 13, and consecutive birdies on holes 17 and 18 at the end. It is interesting that only 14 players scored under par that day. She alone showed a spirited performance on the notoriously difficult Rainbow course. This marks her second consecutive win following the Celltrion Queens Masters on the 13th, her fifth win of the season, and this time, a major championship victory awaits.

Park Hyun-kyung also shot 7-under-par but her effort was overshadowed. Lee Jeong-min (29) is in 3rd place (8-under-par 208 strokes), a bit further behind. The leading group includes Jang Ha-na (29, BC Card) tied for 4th place (5-under-par 211 strokes), and Choi Ye-rim (22, SK Networks) and Lim Hee-jung (21, Korea Land & Trust) tied for 6th place (3-under-par 213 strokes), appearing to compete for 3rd place. Choi Hye-jin (22, Lotte) and Kim Ji-young 2 (25, SK Networks) are tied for 8th place (2-under-par 214 strokes), looking for an opportunity.