Choi Hye-jin Jumps to 3rd Place Instantly "Did You See My 7-Under Par Daily Best?"... Ko Jin-young in 5th Place

'LPGA Tour Major' US Women's Open Day 2: 7-Under Par Surge, Minjee Lee and Harigae Tied for Lead, Sei Young Kim in 7th 'Chasing Battle'

Choi Hye-jin is aiming at the target on the 2nd hole of the second day of the US Women's Open. Southern Pines (USA) = Getty Images / Photo by Multibits

[Asia Economy Golf Specialist Reporter Kim Hyun-jun] "A 7-under par explosion."

It is Choi Hye-jin's (23) 'surge.' On the 4th (Korean time) at the Southern Pines Pine Needles Lodge Golf Club (par 71, 6,638 yards) in North Carolina, USA, during the second day of the US Women's Open (total prize money $10 million), she posted a 7-under par daily best, soaring to a tie for 3rd place (7-under par 135). Minjee Lee (Australia) and Mina Harigae (USA) share the lead (9-under par 133), with Anna Nordqvist (Sweden) joining the tie for 3rd.

Moreover, Choi Hye-jin has the thrilling experience of finishing as runner-up in this major tournament in 2017 as an amateur. She is truly the 'number one in Korea,' having won the 2018 Korean Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) Rookie of the Year and Player of the Year awards, multiple wins and titles in 2019 including money list and lowest scoring average, and Player of the Year for three consecutive years through 2020. After passing the LPGA Tour Qualifying (Q) Series last December, she moved to the US this year and has made five top-10 finishes in nine events, showing great momentum.

Choi Hye-jin is cooling off with a fan on the 2nd hole of the second day of the US Women's Open. Southern Pines, USA = Getty Images / Multibits Photo by Multibits

On this day, she recorded nine birdies and two bogeys. Her 100% fairway hit rate and pinpoint iron shots that missed the green only twice stood out, complemented by 26 'stingy' putts. Minjee Lee is a player to watch. She is on the rise after claiming her first win of the season and seventh career victory at the Cognizant Founders Cup on the 16th of last month. Korea's world No. 1 Ko Jin-young (27) added four strokes to place tied for 5th (6-under par 136).

Ingrid Lindblad (Sweden) continues to create an 'amateur sensation' from a tie for 5th place. Kim Sei-young (29) is tied for 7th (5-under par 137), Park Sung-hyun (29) tied for 9th (4-under par 138), and Jiyai Shin (36, Hanwha Q CELLS), who recently claimed the Bank of Hope Match Play title earning the nickname 'Match Queen,' is tied for 14th (3-under par 139). 2020 champion Kim A-lim (27) remains tied for 52nd (2-over par 144). It is notable that defending champion Yuka Saso (Japan) was 'cut off.'

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.