Minjee Lee has surged up the leaderboard at the Ladies BMW Championship, showcasing her exceptional skill with a second-round score of six-under-par 66. The Australian golfer, currently ranked third in the world, climbed from a tie for 21st to a tie for sixth position in the tournament held at the picturesque Pine Beach Golf Links in South Korea. With this performance, Lee is once again in contention for her 12th title on the LPGA Tour.
During her round, Lee recorded six birdies and achieved a bogey-free score, demonstrating outstanding ball-striking by hitting 12 of 14 fairways and 17 of 18 greens. Following her third-place finish in Shanghai last week, Lee aims to reduce the points gap to Jeeno Thitikul, the current season leader, who is not competing in this event.
Sei Young Kim Retains Lead
Despite Lee’s impressive performance, Sei Young Kim remains the player to beat. The Korean golfer followed her incredible first-round score of 62 with a 66, reaching a total of 16 under par. Kim is pursuing her first LPGA Tour victory in nearly five years and began the second round slowly, going one over par through her first five holes. However, she regained momentum with three consecutive birdies before the turn and added five more on the back nine, maintaining a one-stroke lead over American Brookes Matthews.
Matthews delivered the lowest round of the day with a flawless 64, securing her position in Saturday’s final group alongside Kim and Japan’s Rio Takeda, who stands third at 13 under after carding a second-round 66. Other notable competitors include Nasa Hataoka, who shot a 65, and fellow Korean Hyo Joo Kim, who finished with a 69, placing them both tied for fourth at 12 under.
Field Overview and Future Outlook
Minjee Lee shares fifth place at 10 under with several other contenders, including Frenchwoman Celine Boutier, Japan’s reigning British Open champion Miyu Yamashita, American Yealimi Noh, and Korea’s former world number one Hye-Jin Choi. Defending champion Hannah Green, who carded a 69, finds herself nine shots off the lead at seven under, tied for 22nd alongside fellow Australians Steph Kyriacou and Robyn Choi.
The Ladies BMW Championship, with a purse of $2.3 million (approximately $3.56 million), continues to draw attention as golfers vie for critical points in the LPGA standings. As the tournament progresses, all eyes will be on Lee as she attempts to close the gap on Thitikul and challenge Kim for the title.
