Park Ji-young, Bang Shin-sil, Kim Hee-ji, who will win?
The top players on the Korean Ladies Professional Golf (KLPGA) Tour for the 2023 season will go head-to-head for the title of the 11th E1 Charity Open ($900,000).
Park, who leads the KLPGA Tour in money and points this season, carded seven birdies, one bogey and a double bogey for a 4-under 68 on the second day of play at Seongmunan Country Club (Par 72, 6,602 yards) in Wonju, Gangwon Province, on Sunday.
At 7-under-par 137, Park finished the second round tied for the lead with Bang Shin-sil and Kim Hee-ji.
Bang Shin-sil [Image courtesy of KLPGA Tour].
Bang, who recently emerged as the KLPGA Tour’s “Rising Star,” carded five birdies and two bogeys on the day to shave three strokes off her total to reach 7-under par 137.
Bang will be playing in her third Champions Group event in as many months, following a fourth-place finish at the KLPGA Championship in late April and a third-place finish at the NH Investment & Securities Ladies Championship two weeks ago.
Kim Hee-ji is tied for the lead at 6-under-par, the best score of any player in the field, thanks to a clean round of birdies without a bogey on the day.
Kim Hee-ji [Image courtesy of KLPGA Tour].
The South Korean, who has five career wins, will be attempting to win her first title in five months after winning the Hana Financial Group Singapore Women’s먹튀검증 Open last December. The Singapore event will open the 2023 season, and a win would give Park her first two wins of the season.
Bang Shin-sil and Kim Hee-ji are yet to win a regular tour event.
After the second round, which was played in the rain, Park, Bang and Kim are joined in a tie for fourth place at 6-under 138, one stroke behind the leaders.
Lee Jung-min, Hyun Se-lin and Seo Yeon-jung are tied for fifth at 5-under 139.
Sophomore amateur Sumin Oh shot a 5-under-par on the day, giving her a two-round total of 3-under 141 and a tie for 13th place.
Oh also tied for ninth at the Gyochon Ladies Open in April.
Choi Hye-jin, who plays on the U.S. Women’s Professional Golf (LPGA) Tour, tied for 26th at 1-under 143.
A number of big names missed the cut.
Last year’s winner Jung Yun-ji (2-over 146), the two-time Most Popular Player winner Lim Hee-jeong (3-over 147), the two-time money winner Park Min-ji (4-over 148), and this season’s Rookie of the Year Kim Min-byul (4-over 148) missed the 1-over par cut.