Lee Ji-hyun Jumps to Solo Lead by 1 Stroke in 3rd Round of KLPGA S-OIL Championship

Golfer Lee Ji-hyun has climbed to the top of the leaderboard as the sole leader on the third day of the Korea Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) Tour S-OIL Championship, which boasts a total purse of 1 billion won.

Playing in the third round of the tournament held today (the 31st) at Elysian Jeju Country Club (par 72) in Jeju City, Lee shot a 4-under-par 68, carding six birdies against two bogeys.

Displaying consistent form by shooting a 68 in each of the first three days, Lee posted a 54-hole total of 12-under 204 to take the solo lead as she chases her first tour victory.

Having debuted on the KLPGA regular tour in 2019, Lee has finished in the top 10 seven times out of 26 tournaments this season, including three tied-for-third finishes.

During the third round, Lee struck fiercely with four consecutive birdies from holes 4 through 7, though her momentum appeared to stall shortly after when she carded two bogeys.

However, she showed strong resilience by sinking back-to-back birdies on the 16th hole (par 3) and the 17th hole (par 4) to seize the top spot.

Ahead of the final round, Lee said, "Rather than playing overly cautiously, I want to continue playing aggressively just as I have been doing."

Lee Ye-won, who finished the second round as the sole leader, managed to cut only two strokes and dropped to second place (11-under 205), one stroke behind Lee Ji-hyun.

Lee Ye-won, who holds 10 career KLPGA wins, remarked, "Starting from second place and chasing is psychologically more comfortable than starting in the lead. Winning would be wonderful, but I feel I have played satisfactorily so far, so I will maintain my concentration until the very end tomorrow and play well."

Lee Jae-yoon moved up to third place with a total of 10-under 206, setting up a battle for the title in the championship flight alongside Lee Ji-hyun and Lee Ye-won in the final round.

Kim Min-sol, who had struggled through the first two rounds, fired seven strokes under par with eight birdies and one bogey to jump to a tie for eighth place at 6-under 210 overall.

(Photo courtesy of KLPGA, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.