Kim Min-sol leads for second straight day, setting up showdown with LPGA star Ryu Hae-ran

Kim Min-sol held the lead for the second consecutive day at the 26th Hite Jinro Championship, the final major of the KLPGA Tour season, which carries a purse of 1.5 billion won ($1.1 million).

Standing between her and the title, however, is world No. 3 Ryu Hae-ran, who climbed into sole second place and will be paired with Kim in the weekend rounds for what promises to be a fierce battle. For Kim, who is preparing to make the jump to the international circuit, Ryu represents the ultimate test of her credentials.

In Friday's second round at Blue Heron Golf Club (par 72, 6,763 yards) in Yeoju, Gyeonggi Province, Kim carded a 2-under-par 70 with three birdies and one bogey. Having trimmed two strokes in each of the first two rounds, she sits at 4-under 140 for the tournament — two shots clear of Ryu, who posted the day's best score of 3-under 69.

Kim drained a 12.7-meter birdie putt on the par-4 third hole, then stuck her tee shot to within 3.8 meters on the par-3 11th and converted for another birdie. She stumbled with a bogey on the par-4 15th after driving into deep rough, but bounced back with a 9-meter birdie on the par-3 16th.

Kim already has three wins this season, including a victory at the Mercedes-Benz Korea Women's Open major in June, and is chasing a fourth title and her second career major trophy this week. She is also breathing down the neck of four-win leader Seo Gyo-rim in the wins, prize money and player-of-the-year points standings, making this tournament a pivotal moment in the season-long title race.

A formidable challenger has emerged on the road to the title. Ryu, making a rare appearance on the domestic circuit, stormed into contention with the day's best round of 3-under 69, vaulting straight into sole second place. She racked up six birdies against one bogey and one double bogey.

Ryu has been one of the dominant forces on the LPGA Tour this season, winning back-to-back majors. She claimed her first major title at the KPMG Women's PGA Championship in June, then followed up just two weeks later with a playoff victory at the Amundi Evian Championship in July — an extraordinary run of consecutive major wins.

The Blue Heron course demands extreme precision: through two rounds, only three players are under par — Kim at 4-under, Ryu at 2-under and Lee Seung-yeon in sole third at 1-under. In such demanding conditions, Ryu's major-champion form makes her pursuit a significant source of psychological pressure for the leader.

For Kim, who has her sights set on the LPGA Tour, the weekend rounds alongside Ryu are a strong opportunity to prove herself. "Playing with a major champion actually makes it more exciting," Kim said after her round. "We played together yesterday too, so it won't feel unfamiliar."

Ryu made clear she intends to make life difficult at the top. "What I can do is go out there with the mindset of making things as hard as possible for whoever is leading," she said. "If I do that, I think a chance to win will come. If I match the leader birdie for birdie, I think that will take some of the pressure off me too."