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Long hitter Lee Dong-eun rises to second place in LPGA qualifier, with three more rounds to go

Published: 07 Dec. 2025, 14:06

Lee Dong-eun hits a shot during the Heaven Masters at the Heaven Country Club in Ansan, Gyeonggi on June 22. [YONHAP]

Lee Dong-eun, a long hitter on the KLPGA Tour, tied for second after finishing the second round of the 2025 LPGA Q-Series with a cumulative score of 135, eight under par, in Mobile, Alabama on Saturday.

Lee shot a three-under 68 at the par-71 Falls Course on the second day, jumping from a shared fourth place position the previous day. She is one stroke behind leader Helen Briem of Germany.

Lee finished her second year on the KLPGA Tour this season. She won her first career title at the DB Group Korea Women's Open Golf Championship in June and led the tour in average driving distance at 261.1 yards.

The Q-Series features five rounds. Contestants alternate between the par-72 Crossings Course and the par-71 Falls Course for the first four rounds, then face a cut. The top 65 advance to the final round at the Crossings Course.

Among the 116 entrants, only the top 25, including ties, earn full LPGA Tour cards for the 2026 campaign.

Fellow KLPGA golfer Bang Shin-sil, who won three KLPGA titles this season, continued to struggle. She opened the series with a par-72 in the first round and shot a six-over 77 in the second round, dropping down to a share of 97th place.

Countrywoman Juniper Jang tied for 12th after the second round with a four-under 139, while Lee Jeong-eun tied for 24th with a two-under 41.

Tour card winners will be eligible to compete in the 2026 season that tees off in January after the 2025 campaign, during which seven Korean golfers won titles.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY PARK LIN [[email protected]]