Only bogey-free round among 74 players; Kim eyes first top-tier tour title
Kim Hong-taek chases fourth career win; Wang Jeong-hun sits two back in third
Kim Yeon-seop seized the sole lead after the third round of the KPGA Tour Hyundai Marine & Fire Insurance Choi Kyung-ju Invitational — purse 1.25 billion won ($919,000) — putting himself in position to claim his first top-tier tour title.
Kim carded a bogey-free 67, five under par, at Ferrum Club (par 72) in Yeoju, Gyeonggi Province, on Saturday.
At 8 under par through 54 holes, Kim leads second-place Kim Hong-taek (7 under, 209) by one stroke. Wang Jeong-hun is third at 6 under par (210), two shots back.
Kim Yeon-seop joined the KPGA Tour in 2015 but has yet to win on the top circuit. His best result to date is a runner-up finish at the 2024 KB Financial Group Liiv Championship.
Kim turned professional in 2004 and earned tour-pro status in 2010. Last month, he broke through for his first win as a tour pro — 16 years after turning professional — at the 17th event on the KPGA David Golf Tour, the second-tier circuit.
Now within reach of a first top-tier title within a month of that breakthrough, Kim reflected after his round. "Even though it was on the second tour, experiencing that first win taught me a little about how to play when I'm in this kind of situation," he said.
Kim was the only player among the 74 in Saturday's third round to finish without a bogey. His greens-in-regulation rate reached 94.44 percent.
He picked up his first birdie on the par-3 third hole, then added another on the par-4 seventh. On the back nine, he birdied the par-4 11th, then closed with birdies on the par-3 16th and the par-5 18th to move into sole lead.
"The course was so difficult that I tried to play as safely as possible," Kim said. "Rather than attacking aggressively, I think staying steady led to a good result."
He said he plans to keep the same measured approach in the final round. "Rather than chasing birdies at all costs, I want to manage my game calmly while protecting par," Kim said. "Even if a bogey comes in a tough spot, I'll stay positive knowing a birdie chance can follow — and focus on one shot at a time."
Kim Hong-taek sits one stroke behind at 7 under par (209) heading into the final round, where he will bid for his fourth career title.
Bae Sang-moon and Song Min-hyeok, who had shared the lead on Friday, each dropped three shots Saturday — one birdie against four bogeys apiece — and fell into a tie for fourth.
yjc@heraldcorp.com
