Korea's Lee So-mi back on top ahead of final round at LPGA Q-Series

Golf

Published: 06 Dec. 2023, 13:16 Updated: 06 Dec. 2023, 16:18

Korea's Lee So-mi back on top ahead of final round at LPGA Q-Series

Lee So-mi crosses the first green during the fifth round of the LPGA Q-School at Magnolia Grove Golf Course in Mobile, Alabama on Tuesday. [AFP/YONHAP]

Korea’s Lee So-mi returned to the top of the leaderboard on moving day of the LPGA’s annual qualifying tournament, matching the course record with a bogey-free 63 to pull two shots clear.

Lee now sits at 27-under over five rounds at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail’s Magnolia Grove course in Mobile, Alabama, two ahead of Robyn Choi of Australia on 25-under and three ahead of Mao Saigo of Japan on 24-under. Yuri Yoshida of Japan sits in fourth, with Korean golfers Jang Hyo-joon and Sung Yu-jin sharing fifth with Polly Mack of Germany.

“To be honest, I feel pretty tired, but I’m trying not to think like I played five rounds – playing with the mindset that I can play five more rounds,” Lee said after Tuesday’s action. “I’m going to prepare tomorrow’s round like it’s the first round, so I don’t think that’s going to be an issue.

“I think both my shots and my putter have been pretty good. But golf is a sport where you’re hitting your shots well and putting well and your score isn’t that good. I’ve been talking with my mental coach throughout this and getting my mental game focused is I think another reason why my score has been good.”

Lee currently plays predominantly on the KLPGA tour and has five titles to her name. Her most recent KLPGA titles came in 2022, with back-to-back victories at that year’s SK Networks Seoul Economics Ladies Classic and SK-Oil Championship.

The six-day Q-series, wrapping up Wednesday, U.S. time, is the final opportunity for golfers to earn LPGA Tour status for the 2024 season.

The initial field was cut to the top 65 players and ties after the fourth round, with the top 45 after the sixth round earning 2024 LPGA Tour status.

A total of seven Koreans currently sit within the qualification bracket: Im Hee-jin tied for 13th, Lee Jeong-eun5 tied for 20th, Hong Jung-min tied for 27th and Kang Hae-ji tied for 43rd. Yoon Min-a sits just below the line, tied for 49th but only one shot behind Kang and the five other golfers in 43rd, leaving her with a reasonable chance of breaking through in the final round.

BY JIM BULLEY AND MARY YANG [jim.bulley@joongang.co.kr]