Jung Han-mil takes one-stroke lead at Gunsan CC Open, chasing first win in 9 years on tour

Jung Han-mil seized his best chance yet at a maiden KPGA Tour victory, taking the outright lead heading into the final round of the Gunsan CC Open.

Jung carded a 6-under-par 66 on Saturday — seven birdies against one bogey — at the Gunsan CC Tournament Course (par 72) in Gunsan, North Jeolla Province. His three-round total of 14-under 202 moved him from a share of the lead into sole possession of first place, setting up a bid for his first professional win in nine years on tour.

Kim Min-jun shot a 7-under 65 to sit at 11-under 205, joining Kim Sung-hyun, who finished 6-under for the day, and Kim Hong-taek, who was 3-under, in a three-way tie for second.

Jung came out aggressively, making three consecutive birdies on holes 1 through 3. He added two more birdie streaks — on holes 9 and 10, then 16 and 17 — but closed on a sour note, making bogey on the par-4 18th. His bunker shot stopped 10 meters from the pin, and he missed the long par putt.

After the round, Jung credited his putting for keeping him relaxed throughout. "My putts were dropping early on, which let me play comfortably the whole way," he said. He also gave a lighthearted nod to his diet, saying he had recently been eating black goat — a traditional Korean health tonic — prepared by his father-in-law. "It seems to be working," he said. "My father-in-law takes care of it himself, and it really gives me strength. Today my father-in-law, my wife and my father all came out to cheer me on, so I think the effect was doubled."

Jung made his KPGA Tour debut in 2017, and this week marks his 164th career start. Despite years of consistent play, he has yet to lift a winner's trophy. His best finish to date came at this same event — a runner-up finish at the 2024 Gunsan CC Open two years ago.

Looking ahead to the final round, Jung said wind would be the biggest factor at Gunsan CC. "I think players who tee off earlier will have a slight advantage with less wind," he said. "But the tee times are already set, so I'm not going to worry about it. I just want to stay calm and build one shot at a time, like I did today. If I play that way, I think another good opportunity will come."

National team member Yoo Min-hyuk shot a 4-under 68 to stand alone in fifth place at 10-under 206. Yoo dropped three strokes over his final two holes, making bogey on 17 and double bogey on 18, which cost him several places on the leaderboard.