Noh Seung-hee Maintains Lead in Round 2 of KLPGA McCol-Mona Open

Noh Seung-hee has maintained her lead on the second day of the Korea Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) Tour McCol-Mona Yongpyong Open (total prize money of 1 billion won), moving closer to her fourth career victory.
On June 27, Noh carded a 3-under-par 69 in the second round held at Birch Hill Country Club (par 72) in Pyeongchang, Gangwon Province, with four birdies and one bogey.
With an intermediate total of 12-under 132, Noh kept her lead for the second consecutive day, finishing two strokes ahead of Kim Min-sol (10-under 134).
Choi Ye-rim, Han Jin-seon, Bae So-hyun, and Yoo Seo-yeon are tied for third place, trailing the leader at 9-under 135.
Noh, who has three career KLPGA wins, is aiming for her first victory in a year since winning The Heaven Masters last June.
After a bogey-free performance in the first round, Noh started her second round on the 10th hole and faced a somewhat frustrating stretch, recording nine consecutive pars.
She gained momentum in the second half of her round with three consecutive birdies from the 1st to the 3rd holes. However, she recorded her only bogey of the tournament on the 7th hole (par 4) after a three-putt.
Nevertheless, she finished on a high note by birdieing the final hole, the 9th (par 4), heading into the final round with confidence.
"My goal today was to play bogey-free like yesterday, so it is a bit disappointing that I couldn't achieve that toward the end," Noh said. "Still, I am satisfied that I managed to maintain a good flow from yesterday and finish well today."
To secure the win, Noh must fend off strong title contender Kim Min-sol.
Kim Min-sol, a "super rookie" who leads the prize money race with two wins this season, shot a 3-under 69 with five birdies and two bogeys.
On the final hole, the 18th (par 5), she faced a difficult situation after her second shot landed in a greenside bunker.
However, she saved par by sticking her bunker shot within 1.7 meters of the hole, finishing the second round on a positive note.
"Perhaps because I feel this course is not easy for me, I strangely feel more nervous here than at other tournaments," Kim said. "Regardless, I will do my best until the end."
Seo Gyo-rim, who is also competing for her third win of the season alongside Kim, carded a 3-under 69 with one eagle, four birdies, and three bogeys.
With an intermediate total of 6-under 138, Seo finished the second round tied for 15th place.
(Photo: Courtesy of KLPGA, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.