South Korean’s Kim Jae-hee navigated through a challenging final stretch in the second round of the Hana Financial Group Singapore Women’s Open on Friday to grab the clubhouse lead, with Thai major winner Patty Tavatanakit lurking behind on another day hit by weather disruption.
Taking advantage of her early tee time, Kim, who’s seeking her maiden KLPGA Tour title, recorded six birdies and two bogeys for a four-under-par 68 at Tanah Merah Country Club.
Related: Bang Shin-sil takes clubhouse lead in Singapore Women’s Open
Kim encountered a turbulent finish, marked by late bogeys on the sixth and ninth holes, intermingled with three crucial birdies in the last five-hole stretch, to post a 10-under 134 halfway total before torrential rain and lightning threats forced the players off the course for over two hours.
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Kim’s 36-hole effort was two shots better than tournament favourite Patty, who kept herself firmly in contention for a third title in four starts, carding a 69 to be joint third with the South Korean quartet of Jun Ye-sung (67), Hwang You-min (63), amateur star Oh Soo-min (68) and opening-round leader Bang Shin-sil.
Bang was one-under for the day after completing only nine holes in her second round. With two and a half hours already lost to Thursday’s inclement weather, the second round only got underway at 9 am. Bang’s group not teeing off until 2:20 pm.
With just one hole left to complete, Kim returned to the Tampines Course in the morning with a chance to join Bang at the summit. However, she could only manage to par the last hole, finishing in solo second place.
But Kim wasn’t about to let the solid momentum built on Thursday go to waste. As the first group to tee off for the second round, Kim quickly picked up two birdies in the first five holes after starting from the 10th tee to seize the top spot and never relinquished the position.
“Compared to yesterday, although I had some missed shots, I still managed to hit it close enough to the pin. Unfortunately, I could not secure a lower score. Nevertheless, I’m still satisfied with my effort,” said Kim.
“I was a little disappointed that I did not manage to complete yesterday’s round with just one hole remaining before the play was suspended, but I told myself that it was no big deal. What mattered most was that I kept my focus and headed back to the course the next day, picking up where I left off.”
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After finishing as the runner-up three times to date, including twice last year, Kim is determined to finally make her mark in her fourth year as a professional.
‘I had several opportunities to win last year, and I intend to keep knocking on the door of my first victory. I always believe that I have the game and confidence to win, and it’s just a matter of time before I accomplish it,” she vowed.
“I’m still having that good feeling from the first round. I have some time this afternoon to practice at the driving range, and hopefully, I’ll be able to reproduce the strong performance to contend over the weekend.”
As for Patty, she was pleased with how the day unfolded for her after completing a gruelling 23 holes, including five carried over from the previous day.
In fact, the weather delay came as a blessing in disguise for Patty, who was experiencing her fourth consecutive week of action, as it allowed her to recharge.
“It was a good round. Another solid 69. A lot of birdies opportunities today, I feel like my game is feeling really good,” said Patty, who signed for a first-round 67.
“I feel like the delay was much needed. I just needed more rest coming into this week and everything worked out perfectly.”
Ranked 51st in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, Patty continued to demonstrate that she is a star in the making, showcasing her pedigree to compete with seasoned pros.
For the second consecutive day, she carded a flawless 68, without dropping a shot yet.
“When I was playing, I didn’t know what position I was in. I only found out that I was tied second when I submitted my scorecard and I was really surprised,” who had seven KLPGA appearances under her belt last year.
“My best finish at a pro event was ninth placing (at The 9th Kyochon 1991 Ladies Open) last year. I’m looking to improve on that.”
Singapore’s very own amateur star, Chen Xing Tong, was equally impressive. The 15-year-old stands a good chance of making the cut if she can replicate her performance today.
Following an opening round of 74, Xing Tong bounced back by mixing four birdies with a bogey, bringing her to one-under overall. She currently sits two shots above the projected cutline, set at one-over 145.
“I just tried to take it easy today. We had to wait around two hours to go out again, so it wasn’t the best conditions but I’m glad I adapted quickly enough,” said Xing Tong.
“I got a bit lucky, but it’s only nine holes. There are still another nine tomorrow and I would probably still have to play another 18 so I’ll just try to take it easy.”
