World number seven Minjee Lee remains firmly in contention as South Korea’s Choi Hye-jin snatched the outright lead at the halfway stage of the Hana Financial Group Championship in Incheon on Friday.
Australia’s Lee, in her fourth appearance at the KRW1.5 billion tournament, carded a two-under-par 70 at the Bear’s Best Cheongna Golf Club to advance to the weekend at three-under-par 141.
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The major winner is just three shots behind Choi, who leads by a single shot in a congested leaderboard where only six shots separate the top 43 players.
Lee, who was tied-19th overnight, carded three birdies against a lone bogey to end the second day four rungs higher in tied-15th place.
“It’s been okay. Just up and down. I don’t think I’ve really done anything too well or too badly. So just kind of, hopefully, I can have a good weekend,” said Lee.
“The course conditions are not super, super amazing, but everybody has to play on it, so I think it’s fair,” said Lee, who is seeking to make it two wins in a row after triumphing at the Kruger Queen City Championship on the LPGA Tour two weeks ago.
A host of home competitors – Lee Ye-won, Lin Ju-yeon, Ma Da-som, Park Hyung-kyung, Lee So-young, and Shin Sil-bang – are sitting in a six-way tie for second on 139.
The Thai pair, Jaravee Boonchant and Patty Tavatanakit, had contrasting fortunes as they sit in a seven-way tie for eighth, two shots off the pace.
While Jaravee fired the best of the day’s 67, highlighted by an eagle at the par-four 13th, Patty could only muster a 72.
“I played very well today. I played well yesterday too, but I think the main difference between how I shot yesterday and today was like the mental game,” said Jaravee, last year’s Epson Tour Championship winner.
“Like yesterday, I was a bit worried about the distance, the course, the wind, and everything. So I don’t think my mind was really focused, but today, having a caddie on the bag helped me a lot.
“I was trying to just focus on shot by shot, and just play my own game, and I think that’s helped me focus more.”
When asked what she needs to do to better her tied-sixth finish here last year, she said: “I just have to play it shot by shot again, not thinking too much about the result, just like today. Stick to the game plan and listen to my caddie more. He told me to trust the line, trust the club, aim, and swing.”
Bianca Pagdanganan of the Philippines rose to the occasion with an improved 71 and qualified for the weekend rounds, tying for 35th place with Japan’s Yokomine Sakura at even-par 144.
New Zealand star Lydia Ko was among the six non-Korean competitors who missed the cut set at 146. Ko had a day to forget, battling to a 76 to finish tied 70th. Thailand’s amateur star Eila Galitsky also ended her campaign early after shooting a 73 for a tie in 61st place.
