Rookie of the Year Lee Yewon Leads by 5 Strokes... "Aiming for Satisfactory Play"

Opening Round Lotte Rent-a-Car Women's Open 2R 2 Under Par
Park Hyunkyung 2nd, Kim Minbyeol 4th, Park Minji 33rd

Last year's Rookie of the Year, Lee Ye-won, is on a thrilling winning streak.

On the 7th, at Lotte Skyhill CC in Seogwipo, Jeju Island (Par 72, 6,395 yards), Lee Ye-won added 2 under par in the second round of the 2023 Korean Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) Tour domestic season opener, the Lotte Rent-a-Car Women’s Open (total prize money 800 million KRW), taking the top spot on the leaderboard at 9 under par 135. Park Hyun-kyung is in second place at 4 under par 140, and Jeon Ye-seong is in third at 3 under par 141, both in pursuit.

Lee Ye-won is teeing off at the 15th hole during the second round of the Lotte Rent-a-Car Women's Open.
[Photo by KLPGA]

Starting the round one stroke behind in second place, Lee Ye-won recorded five birdies, one bogey, and one double bogey. She smoothly made three birdies over 11 holes but was set back by a double bogey on the 3rd hole (par 4). She recovered with a birdie on the 4th hole (par 5) but lost a stroke with a bogey on the 5th hole (par 3). However, she secured a crucial birdie on the 7th hole (par 4). Lee Ye-won now leads by five strokes, seizing her first-ever chance to win.

Last year, Lee Ye-won demonstrated overwhelming skill. Out of 29 tournaments, she advanced to the final rounds 26 times and finished in the top 10 thirteen times. She dominated the Rookie of the Year competition, ranking first with 3,001 points. Her prize money ranking was third with 849.78 million KRW. However, she repeatedly faltered at the threshold of victory, finishing as runner-up and third place three times each.

Determined, Lee Ye-won trained intensely during a 60-day training camp in Perth, Australia, starting last February. She proudly stated, "This was the hardest I have ever trained since becoming a golfer." She focused on improving her short game and mid-range putting, areas that had previously held her back, and the results are showing from the very first tournament this year.

After the second round, Lee Ye-won said, "Last year, I was often among the leaders, but when I thought about winning on the final day, things didn’t go well. When you’re in the winning zone, you see the scoreboard, and people around you comment, so even if you don’t want to, you become aware. Every shot makes me nervous and anxious." She added, "From the third round, the pin positions will be tricky, and the course setup difficult, so I think I just need to play steadily without overdoing it." She vowed, "I hope to win, but I will stay focused for the remaining two days and finish with satisfying play."

Rookie Kim Min-byeol improved by three strokes to climb to a tie for 4th place (2 under par 142). Rookie Jung So-i, who led the previous day, lost six strokes and dropped to this group.

Park Ji-young, winner of the Hana Financial Group Singapore Women’s Open, and Li Shuying (China), the ‘first foreign player,’ are also tied for 4th place.

Lee Jung-min, winner of the PLK Pacific Links Korea Championship, is tied for 11th place (even par 144), and Lim Hee-jeong is tied for 18th place (1 over par 145), both eyeing a rise in the rankings. European powerhouse Lin Maria Grant (Sweden) advanced to the third round tied for 22nd place (2 over par 146). Domestic number one Park Min-ji lost three strokes and is tied for 33rd place (3 over par 147). Jang Ha-na and Hwang Jeong-mi withdrew.

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