Jung leads runner-up Shin Sang-hun by 4 strokes at 23-under 193
'My shot and putting feel have improved … I feel almost no pressure'
Jung Chan-min maintained sole possession of the lead for a third consecutive day at the KPGA Tour The Charity Classic — purse 1 billion won ($742,000) — moving closer to a wire-to-wire victory.
Jung carded a bogey-free 6-under 66 on Saturday, making six birdies across the Valley-Seowon course (par 72) at Seowon Valley Country Club in Paju, Gyeonggi Province.
His three-round total of 23-under 193 kept him four strokes clear of sole second-place Shin Sang-hun (19-under 197). Having led since the opening round, Jung will claim his first win of the season and third career title on the KPGA Tour if he holds the top spot through the final round.
Jung's 193 ties the KPGA Tour all-time 54-hole scoring record. Jang Yi-geun first set the mark at the T-Up G-Swing Mega Open in 2017, and Lee Jeong-hwan matched it at the Golfzon-Toray Open in 2024.
Jung built momentum on the front nine with four birdies. On the par-5 11th hole, he followed a 316-yard drive with a birdie, then stuck his tee shot to within 3.3 meters on the par-3 13th to add another.
After the round, Jung said: "Birdies came quickly from the start, so I felt relaxed. My shots were working well in the middle, which created a lot of opportunities, and I took advantage of them. It's a little disappointing that I couldn't make more birdies from the 14th hole on, but overall it was a satisfying day."
On the final-round title race, Jung said: "I thought that if I couldn't make birdies on Saturday, the last round would be extremely tough, so I focused even harder. My ball-striking feels good and my putting has improved noticeably, so my confidence is up. I feel almost no pressure — I just need to focus on my own game."
Jung made his KPGA Tour debut in 2022 and has two career victories — the GS Caltex MK Open in May 2023 and the Golfzon-Toray Open in November of that year. A win Sunday would mark his return to the top of the leaderboard after nearly two years and 11 months.
This season he has finished runner-up twice, at the KPGA Founders Cup and the Golfzon Open. He currently sits fourth in the Genesis Points standings and eighth on the money list.
Shin Sang-hun, who has one win this season and sits second in the Genesis Points standings, fired a 6-under round on Saturday to move from a share of third on Friday into sole second place. Kim Yeon-seop and Kim Baek-jun are tied for third at 17-under 199, six strokes off the lead.
In Sunday's final round, Jung, Shin and Kim Baek-jun will tee off together in the champion's group at 11:10 a.m.
yjc@heraldcorp.com
