LPGA Players Come Back Strong in Second Round of Korea Women`s Open

Korean international golfers Park Ji-eun (Nike Golf) and Han Hee-won (FILA Korea) were up and running again to pull a victory in the 17th Astra Cup Korea Women`s Open worth 200 million won.

In the second round of the tournament held at the Asiade CC in Busan on Sept. 5, Park Ji-eun, who finished the first round with a 3-over, made 5 birdies and 2 bogeys, finishing the round at a 3-under, a tie for the daily best record. She jumped from 31st to 5th with an even par after the second day. Han Hee-won, who tied for 23rd with a 2-over, saved two shots with 3 birdies and 1 bogey, tying with Park Ji-eun.

Song Bo-bae, senior at Samsung Girls` High School who is with the national team, shared the second-round lead with Beth Bauer of America at a 3-under. Park and Han will play in the same group again in the final third round on Sept. 6.

Park, known to be a bold and straightforward young woman, has a daring style of playing golf. She makes many birdies and many bogeys as well. Park made a birdie on the 2nd hole with a long shot and a stable iron shot, and continued playing well on the 5th with a 2-on 2-putts.

In the latter part of the round, however, she made a bogey on the 13th after a birdie on the 11th. She came back strong with two birdies on 15th and 16th, only to make a bogey again on the 17th. Apparently disturbed by a camera flash, she fumbled with a No. 3 wood tee shot. Then, she shot a 5m putt, and a bogey was the best she could do. After the second round, she said confidently during an interview, ˝I do not think a three to four-shot gap is big.˝

Han, having made her first birdie on the 2nd, made a tee shot mistake to finish with a bogey on the 3rd. But, she made a birdie again on the 5th. After saving one shot in the first part of the round, she made a birdie on the 11th and managed to par on the rest of the seven holes. ˝The course conditions were much better, but then the wind was blowing in the opposite direction, making it difficult for me to play well,˝ said Han.

Meantime, high school senior Song Bo-bae finished with three birdies and no bogey, catching the spotlight. Bauer, known to be dating Han`s caddie Sean Cluz, saved three shots on the day, moving one step closer to the championship.

Jong-Seok Kim kjs0123@donga.com