Jihan Sol, Surges with 6-Under Par "I Like South Springs"... Seo Eojin '1 Stroke Behind in 2nd Place'

E1 Charity Open Day 1: Two Consecutive Wins, Kim Rian and Hong Ji-won Tied for 3rd, Lee So-mi and Choi Hye-yong Among 13 Tied for 5th

Defending champion Ji Han-sol is smiling brightly after making a birdie on the 13th hole on the first day of the E1 Charity Open. Photo by KLPGA

[Asia Economy Reporter No Woo-rae] Defending champion Jihan Sol (26, Dongbu Construction) is on a roll.

On the 27th, at South Springs Golf Course in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province (par 72, 6,546 yards), she surged with a 6-under-par on the first day of the KLPGA Tour E1 Charity Open (total prize money 800 million won), topping the leaderboard. Seo Eojin (21, Hite Jinro) is in 2nd place (5-under-par 67), Kim Rian (23, MG Saemaeul Geumgo) and Hong Ji-won (22, Yojin Construction) are tied for 3rd (4-under-par 68), and as many as 13 players including Lee So-mi (23, SBI Savings Bank) and Choi Hye-yong (32, Mediheal) are tied for 5th (3-under-par 69).

Jihan Sol collected 7 birdies (1 bogey). She shaved off 5 strokes in the front nine with 'stepping stone birdies' on holes 10, 12, and 14, and consecutive birdies on holes 17 and 18. She also showed resilience by adding consecutive birdies on holes 4 and 5 in the back nine. However, the only blemish was a bogey on the final 9th hole (par 4) after a near-perfect round. Leading by one stroke, she laid the stepping stone for her third KLPGA Tour win in a year since winning this tournament last year.

Jihan Sol is a strong player at South Springs Golf Course. It was also this course where she earned her first career victory at the ADT Caps Championship in November 2017. If she wins, she will achieve the tournament’s first back-to-back titles. Jihan Sol, who said, "I think this is my best play this year," added, "My putting has improved since last week," and cheered, "The last hole was a bit disappointing, but overall I am satisfied." She further explained, "I feel a connection with this course," and said, "There is a sense of comfort thinking 'I will do well here.'"

Park Hyun-kyung is examining the putting line on the 13th hole on the first day of the E1 Charity Open. Photo by KLPGA

Park Hyun-kyung (22, Korea Land Trust) recorded 4 birdies and 2 bogeys. She is tied for 18th place (2-under-par 70). ‘Kyochon Champ’ Jo Ah-yeon (22, Dongbu Construction) is tied for 29th (1-under-par 71), and ‘Doosan Match Champ’ Hong Jeong-min (20, CJ OnStyle) is tied for 39th (even par 72). On the other hand, Jang Ha-na (30, BC Card) is tied for 56th (1-over-par 73), Lee Da-yeon (25, Mediheal) is tied for 73rd (2-over-par 74), and ‘Japan-based player’ Bae Seon-woo (28) is tied for 123rd (6-over-par 78).