Jeong Yeonju "Leading with 5 Under Par"... Kim Minbyeol and Hwang Yumin Tied for 2nd Place

Nexen·Saintnine Masters Round 1
Lee So-mi 4th, Park Ji-young 6th, Park Gyeol 16th

Jeong Yeon-ju is a veteran power.

On the 21st, Jeong Yeon-ju took the lead with a 5-under-par 67 in the first round of the Nexen Saintnine Masters (total prize money 800 million KRW) of the Korean Ladies Professional Golf Tour (KLPGT), held at Gaya Country Club (par 72, 6818 yards) in Gimhae, Gyeongnam.

Jung Yeon-ju is teeing off at the 17th hole of the 1st round of the Nexen Saintnine Masters.
[Photo by KLPGA]

Jeong Yeon-ju showcased flawless play with one eagle and three birdies. On the 12th hole (par 4), her second shot from 156 yards was a “shot eagle” that dropped into the hole. Jeong Yeon-ju took the lead by one stroke, laying the foundation for her second victory in 12 years since her first win at the 2011 Korean Women's Open.

“Super rookie” Kim Min-byeol was tied for second place (4-under-par 68). A former national team member, she turned professional last October and confidently passed the full membership qualifying round, then topped the season card qualifying to debut on the regular tour this year. She is a strong candidate for Rookie of the Year. Kim Min-byeol exclaimed, “The weather wasn’t good, so I tried to play safely without being greedy, but I got a good score.”

Rookie Hwang Yu-min also joined this group. She is a promising player who finished second after a fierce competition against Park Min-ji at last year’s NH Investment & Securities Ladies Championship. Hwang Yu-min said, “I want to play better tomorrow than today, and even better on the final day.”

Lee So-mi and Hong Ji-won tied for 4th place (3-under-par 69), Park Ji-young and Kim Su-ji tied for 6th (2-under-par 70), Lee Jung-min and Lee Se-hee tied for 11th (1-under-par 71), while Park Gyeol, Ji Han-sol, and Cho Ah-yeon shared 16th place (even par 72). Lim Hee-jung and Lee Ga-young were tied for 42nd (2-over-par 74), Lee Joo-mi tied for 57th (3-over-par 75), and Lee Ye-won tied for 70th (4-over-par 76).

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