Seo Gyo-rim shares KLPGA Championship lead after Round 2; Kim Min-sol in third

Born-in-2006 rivals Seo Gyo-rim and Kim Min-sol, locked in a race to be the first to four wins this season, kept their battle alive Friday in Round 2 of the BC Card-Hankyung 48th KLPGA Championship, the tour's second major of the season, which carries a purse of 1.5 billion won ($1.08 million).

Seo carded six birdies and one bogey for a 5-under-par 67 at Pocheon Hills Country Club's Garden and Palace courses (par 72) in Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province. Her two-round total of 7-under-par 137 lifted her from a tie for 11th after Round 1 into a share of the lead with Song Eun-a.

Seo opened with birdies on the par-5 first hole and the par-3 sixth, then moved into contention with a third birdie on the par-5 10th, the first hole of the back nine. A wayward tee shot on the par-4 12th found the water and cost her a bogey, but she bounced back with a 7.8-meter birdie putt on the par-3 14th. She then drained a 6.2-meter birdie putt on the par-4 17th and added another birdie on the par-5 18th to close out her round.

"My putting was working well, which let me pick up a lot of birdies," Seo said after her round. "In the remaining rounds, I want to be aggressive on the par-5 holes, where it's easier to create birdie opportunities."

Kim also stayed in the hunt, carding two birdies for a 2-under-par 70 to sit at 6-under 136 for the tournament — one stroke off the lead in sole third place. She parred all nine holes on the front nine before birdieing the 10th and 17th on the back nine.

"My ball-striking felt shakier than Thursday, but I managed to get through the tough spots with my short game," Kim said. "Shot feel doesn't improve dramatically overnight, so I'll stay calm, analyze things and work on it." On her rivalry with Seo, she said: "I can't pretend it doesn't cross my mind, but I think we have a good relationship where we share positive energy and synergy with each other."

Both players have three wins apiece this season. "Super rookie" Kim struck first, claiming the iM Financial Open in April, the Mercedes-Benz Korea Women's Open in June and the McColl-Mona Yongpyong Open. Seo answered with victories at the Celltrion Queens Masters and the Inca Financial The Heaven Masters in June, then drew level last week by winning the Mediheal-Korea Ilbo Championship.

Moon Jeong-min, who began the tournament in a tie for 30th, shot 5 under on Friday to move to 5-under 139 for the tournament, joining Lee Seung-yeon and Han Jin-sun in a tie for fourth. Yoo Hyeon-jo and Ko Ji-woo, each with one win this season, both shot 3-under rounds to reach 4-under 140, sharing seventh place with Ahn Ji-hyeon.