Hwang Jae-min seizes solo lead at KPGA Tour Championship after round 2

Hwang Jae-min fired a 6-under 66 through fierce winds Friday to take the solo lead after round 2 of the KPGA Tour Championship, the season-ending event on the KPGA Tour.

Playing the Valley-Teddy course (par 72) at Teddy Valley Golf & Resort in Seogwipo, Jeju Island, Hwang carded one eagle, six birdies and two bogeys. After finishing even-par 72 in a tie for 20th on Thursday, he vaulted to the top of the leaderboard with a two-round total of 6-under 138, two strokes clear of Jung Jae-hyun at 4-under 140.

Amid gusts reaching 13 meters per second, Hwang reeled off three consecutive birdies on holes 9 through 11. On the par-5 13th, he holed his third shot from about 45 meters out for an eagle. Bogeys on the par-3 14th and 17th holes could not dislodge him from the top.

"I started on the front nine thinking, 'There's a lot of wind, so just hit it accurately,' and it worked out perfectly — everything fell into place today, with a bit of luck thrown in," Hwang said. He added that practicing low-trajectory shots since last week's Lexus Masters had paid dividends. "Depending on whether the wind was in my face or at my back, I adjusted by nearly two clubs up or down," he explained.

Hwang made his KPGA Tour debut in 2011 but has yet to claim his first victory. His best career finish remains a runner-up at the 2017 Jinju Savings Bank Kaido Men's Open, and this week marks his 212th career start.

Jung Jae-hyun, who finished runner-up at last week's Lexus Masters after a playoff, moved into sole second place. Shin Sang-hun and Jung Chan-min, both contending for the Player of the Year award and the season money title, sit in a tie for 18th at 1-over 145.

Jang Yu-bin, the season's top money earner and second in Player of the Year points, was disqualified after submitting an incorrect scorecard. Jang recorded four strokes on hole 17 but wrote down three, and recorded three strokes on hole 18 but wrote down four.

Under Rule 3.3b(3) of the Rules of Golf, a player is disqualified for submitting a score lower than actually taken on any hole. Jang returned to the scoring area at 4:54 p.m. — 27 minutes after submitting the card at 4:27 p.m. — but had already missed the 15-minute correction window stipulated under KPGA tournament conditions.

The disqualification eliminates Jang from contention for the Player of the Year award and forfeits any prize money from the event. Whether Jang retains the season money title will depend on the final results of the other contenders.