[Herald Economy = Reporter Jo Yong-jik] Lee Ye-won, known as the “Queen of Spring” after winning three times in April–May last season, posted a 7-under 65 in the second round of the KLPGA Tour Duksin EPC Championship to move into a tie for the lead.
Lee shot a bogey-free 7-under 65 on the 25th at Kingsdale Golf Club in Chungju, North Chungcheong (par 72, 6,700 yards). She tied the course record and moved to 8-under 136 for the tournament, vaulting 39 places from a tie for 40th after the opening round.
Lee opened with consecutive birdies at Nos. 2 (par 4) and 3 (par 3). On the par-3 8th, her tee shot finished about 3.66 meters (roughly 12 feet) from the hole, and she converted the birdie putt. On the back nine, she holed a long birdie from 11.52 meters (about 38 feet) at the 13th and closed the round with back-to-back birdies at Nos. 16 and 17 (both par 4).
After the round, Lee said, “Making that long birdie putt on No. 13 gave me momentum. Holes 1–3 are tricky, so I’ll work to get off to a good start in the final round.”
Lee has shown strong early-season form over the past two years. She won three times in the first nine events of the 2024 season, and last season she also captured three titles in her first seven starts.
Kim Jae-hee, who led outright after a 6-under opening round, carded a 2-under 70 on Thursday and dropped into a tie for the lead. Kim had surged with an eagle at the par-5 11th but gave ground with three late bogeys.
Noh Seung-hee posted five birdies and one bogey for a 4-under round to join the group tied at the top.
Yoo Seo-yeon sits fourth at 7-under 137. Kim Min-seon, the Nexen·Saintnine Masters 2026 champion, is at 6-under 138 and shares fifth with Bang Shin-sil, Park Min-ji, Kim Si-hyun and Yoo Hyun-jo, all keeping their hopes alive for a second victory this season.
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