South Korean golfer, 15, takes three-stroke lead at Hana Financial Group Singapore Women’s Open

SINGAPORE – Looking slightly sheepish, South Korean golfer Oh Soo-min smiled at the crowd who greeted her with applause as she walked off the Tanah Merah Club’s Tampines Course on March 9.

The 15-year-old had just fired a six-under 66 to top the leaderboard going into the final round of the Hana Financial Group Singapore Women’s Open with a 14-under 202 total, three strokes clear of her closest competitors Kim Jae-hee (71) and Bang Shin-sil (70).

Though “a little bit embarrassed” by the attention, beneath the soft-spoken amateur’s shy demeanour lies an irrepressible competitive streak, as seen in her ambition to surpass 15-time Major winner Tiger Woods.

The first-year high school student said: “It’s the first time that I’m on top of the leaderboard in a professional tournament like this, so it feels very surreal.

“I’m actually very happy with my results today. I did better than what I had originally thought.”

Going into the round tied-fourth and two strokes behind second-round leader Kim, Soo-min did not take long to find her form as she posted three birdies in her opening 12 holes.

As the fight for the top spot intensified, Soo-min claimed the sole lead after birdying the par-four 13th hole.

She then posted another birdie on the par-four 15th and held her nerve even when she dropped a shot at the par-three 16th hole – her only bogey of the week.

Soo-min, who is 51st in the world amateur golf rankings, closed the round with two more birdies, even as her flight mates world No. 27 Patty Tavatanakit and Lee Su-jin3 bogeyed the last hole.

She could become the first amateur to win on the Korean Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) since Choi Hye-jin, who bagged two titles on the Tour in 2017, but Soo-min remained coy about her chances at the $1.1 million tournament.

“I don’t know if I can actually win but I think tomorrow if I’m more relaxed, I may get some good results,” said Soo-min, who was selected for the South Korean national team just three months ago.

“During tomorrow’s round, I just need to be calm because sometimes I rush things, so if I pace myself well, I can have a good game tomorrow.”

Sitting four strokes behind Soo-min in tied-fourth, the tournament’s highest-ranked golfer Patty (70), a two-time winner on the LPGA, remains in contention and has a shot at winning her third event in four weeks.

South Koreans Jeong Yun-ji (67), Ro Seung-hui (68), Hwang You-min (70) and Park Do-eun (71) are also joint-fourth in the opening event of the 2024 KLPGA season.

Jeong said: “I really wanted to start the season great and I really wanted to make the cut so I think I really focused on trying to make the cut.

“Now that I’ve succeeded, I’m looking at rounds three and four as a new fresh start and looking at them as another set of two rounds.”

Amateur Chen Xingtong, who was the only Singaporean to make the cut, is tied-54th with a 217 total after signing for a 77 on March 9.

After registering a 66 in the second round, the 15-year-old endured a much tougher third round as she posted six consecutive bogeys in her opening nine holes.

Xingtong improved on the back nine, mixing two bogeys with three birdies. She said: “It’s been a roller coaster (today), but it’s just golf man. Golf is just like that.

“I was able to calm myself down and finish five over.

“Like I said, it’s just golf. I’m not looking forward to doing that again but it worked out.”