Golf 

ĐÀ NẴNG — Patience proved a virtue for Sumin Hong as the South Korean teenager claimed the halfway lead in the seventh edition of the Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific (WAAP) Championship on March 7.

Battling blustery winds, the 18-year-old negotiated her way around the Hoiana Shores Golf Club’s links-style layout in four-under-par 67.

With a 36-hole aggregate of 10-under-par 132, Hong holds a two-stroke lead from Malaysian Jeneath Wong and Australian Jazy Roberts, who both benefitted from morning starts when conditions were less challenging than those faced by those in the afternoon wave.

World Amateur Golf Ranking No 9 Soomin Oh is alone in fourth place on 135 after an eventful round of 67 that included eight birdies and four bogeys.

Chinese Taipei’s Jieen Lin (69) is fifth on 136 with Australian Lion Higo (72) tied-sixth on 137 alongside the Korean duo of Seojin Park (69) and Yunseo Yang, whose five-under-par 66 was the best round of the day and the only bogey-free return.

Among four players in a share of ninth place on 138 is another South Korean, Seo Jin Park, the first-round leader whose 74 was ten strokes higher than her first round effort.

In windswept conditions, controlling ball flight, capitalising on birdie opportunities and minimising mistakes was the order of the day.

The degree of difficulty was evident as only 20 players from the 92-strong field from 24 countries bettered par, as opposed to 34 on day one.

It was Hong, 221st in the WAGR, who did that better than most with birdies at the third and eighth seeing her reach the turn in two-under-par..

Despite dropping shots at two of the par-3s on the back nine – the 12th and 17th – Hong picked up strokes at the 10th, 15th, 16th and 18th to put herself in pole position to become the first Korean winner of the region’s pre-eminent women’s amateur championship.

Reflecting on her round, Hong said, “Right now, I’m really happy and satisfied with how I played and stayed patient. I'm leading at the moment, but I try not to think about the final goal and result. I just want to enjoy this with my peers, team-mates and friends from other countries.”

While the afternoon drama was unfolding, Roberts and Wong were in relaxed mood having completed their rounds in the calmer morning conditions.

Among four players to enjoy bogey-free performances on Thursday, the two 20-year-olds both dropped shots on their opening hole of round two before recovering to post scores of 68 and 69 respectively. 

 Lê Chúc An produced a courageous comeback to maintain her standing as the leading Vietnamese player.

She had two double-bogeys in an outward 42. Her response was back-to-back birdies on the13th and 14th on her way to a 76.

“I’m happy to make the cut. That was my first target,” said An, tied for 30th with a 36-hole total of one-over-par 143.

Although the five other contestants from the host nation failed to progress, the experience they’ve gained will be invaluable in their golfing development. VNS