Kim Mi-hyun, Go-Go for the 2nd Win for the Season!

The ‘Super Peanut’ Kim Mi-hyun is facing a win again in two weeks.

Kim Mi-hyun is leading the US LPGA Tour Wendy’s Championship at Tartan Fields Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio after the second round on the 4th with 5 under par 67 shots and the total of 9 under par and 135 shots.

Since Kim Mi-hyun is keeping a very stable putting sense without a single bogie in two days, and there are no noticeable veterans between the second place, Daniella Amocafony (138 shots, USA) and the 13th place (1 under par, 143 shots), there is a good chance for her to grab her second championship cup in two weeks following the Giant Eagle Classic on last month.

Most of the players had difficult games because of steaming weather at the Tartan Fields Golf Club; however, driver shots of Kim Mi-hyun, who got rested for a week, landed safely on the fairways without an exception, and the number of putting, which was not good enough the other day, was quite good with 25.

Kim Mi-hyun, who saved pars on the first 3 holes, got her first birdie of the day at the 4th hole (par 4) and accelerated after making consecutive birdies at the 7th (par 4) and the 8th (par 3) holes.

She missed the 60cm birdie putting at the 9th hole (par 5); however, made a back-to-back birdie at the 12th (par 4) and the 13th (par 5) hole and secured the lead.

Especially, Kim Mi-hyun had a crisis at the 17th hole (par 3), where the rival and the ‘home course’ favorite Michelle Redman (4 under par, 140 shots, USA) made a double bogie, that her t-shot went pass the green and end up at the back bunker, but she successfully saved a par and finished the second round without a bogie.

Han Hui-won (24, FILA Korea) went up to the sole third place (5 under par, 139 shots) with 6 under par, 66 shots for the day, and left a hope for a come-from-behind win.

On the other hand, the last week’s Big Apple Classic winner Park Hui-jung (22, CJ39 Shopping), who faced a crisis of being cut-off at the first round with being at the 100th place (5 over par, 77 shots), fought desperately with 4 under par 68 shots and advanced to the final third round by making tie at the 22nd place (1 over par, 145 shots) with Goh A-ra (22, Hi-Mart) and Yeo Min-sun (31).

Young-Sik Ahn ysahn@donga.com