Lang Co, Vietnam: A motivated Korean contingent flexed their muscles on day two of the 16th Faldo Series Asia (FSA) Grand Final.
After a sluggish start to the tournament, Park Jae-min, Yang Hyo-jin and Kim Min-seo all sprung to the fore at Laguna Lang Co.
While Park powered his way to a best-of-the-day five-under-par 66, Yang carded a 67 and Kim compiled a 68 to soar into contention.
Heading into Friday’s final-round, Park is poised to pounce in second place overall on 137, two strokes behind Vietnam’s Nguyen Tuan Anh, who followed his sparkling opening 65 with a 70.
Yang is joint third on 138 alongside Vietnam's Ho Anh Huy, while Kim is in a share of sixth place on 141.
Park also leads the Boys’ Under-21 category, while Yang is setting the pace in the Girls’ Under-21 division.
It was an impressive showing from the Koreans who are bidding to deliver a first winner of the Faldo Series Asia Grand Final for their country.
“All of our players did well and are in confident mood,” said Won Ko, the Korean team’s captain.
After an opening-day 71, Park, 428th in the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR), wasted no time in making inroads into Tuan Anh's lead with birdies at four of the first five holes. He turned in 32 and added two further birdies in an inward 34.
For the second day running, 17-year-old Yang struck back brilliantly after an indifferent start.
Winner of this year’s women’s Australian Master of the Amateurs and currently 61st in the WAGR, Yang was four-over through 14 holes on day one but picked up four shots over the closing stretch to sign for an even-par 71.
On Thursday, she was one-over after 10 before embarking on a fabulous run that saw her make birdies at five of the final eight holes.
“This is my first time to Vietnam and I’m just trying to enjoy myself,” said Yang, whose back nine surge was highlighted by a chip-in from 30 feet for a three at the par-four 16th.
Following a first-round 73, Kim also adapted well in the steamy conditions and had the distinction of returning the only bogey-free round of the day. A model of consistency, her scorecard contained 15 pars and three birdies.
The player everyone is chasing is 15-year-old Tuan Anh. Having blazed his way around the course on Wednesday, the birdies dried up for the talented Vietnamese on day two.
To his credit, he remained calm, even after dropping a shot at the short 11th for the second day in a row. His patience was rewarded when he finally made putts for birdie on 15 and 16 to ensure a second successive sub-par return.
The Ho Chi Minh City-based teenager, a member of the Vietnam national squad who began the week in 623rd place in the WAGR, is attempting to become the third successive Vietnamese winner of the FSA Grand Final after Nguyen Duc Son last year and Nguyen Anh Minh in 2023.
Duc Son’s prospects of a successful title defence appear to have evaporated after a 76 that saw him fall into a tie for 12th place on 144, nine shots off the pace.
However, Ho Anh Huy, a member of the Vietnam team that scored an historic maiden win in last year’s Asia-Pacific Amateur Team Championship for the Nomura Cup, is still very much in the picture. The United Kingdom-based teenager posted a second successive two-under 69 and is in equal third overall.
Leading the Japanese challenge is Reina Todaka who is alone in fifth place overall and one behind Yang in the Girls’ Under-21 segment.
Thai Pimpakorn Panyadilok maintained her lead in the Girls’ Under-16 category on 144 although Japan’s Ai Goto (146), Sri Lankan Kaya Daluwatte (147) and Australian Camilla Kim and Hong Kong’s Leung Hei-tong (both 148) are all within striking distance.
Leading Second-Round Scores
Overall
135 – Nguyen Tuan Anh (Vietnam) 65-70
137 – Park Jae-min (Korea) 71-66
138 – Yang Hyo-jin (Korea) 71-67; Ho Anh Huy (Vietnam) 69-69
139 – Reina Todaka (Japan) 70-69
141 – Kim Min-seo (Korea) 73-68; Reshan Algama (Sri Lanka) 70-71; Uy Doan (Vietnam) 68-73
142 – Sophie Eppelstun (Australia) 71-71; Park Gun-woong (Korea) 70-72
Boys’ Under-21
137 – Park Jae-min (Korea) 71-66
141 – Uy Doan (Vietnam) 68-73
142 – Park Gun-woong (Korea) 70-72
144 – Nguyen Doc Son (Vietnam) 68-76
146 – Aiden Kei Ahmed Shaharuddin (Malaysia) 71-75
Girls’ Under-21
138 – Yang Hyo-jin (Korea) 71-67
139 – Reina Todaka (Japan) 70-69
141 – Kim Min-seo (Korea) 73-68
142 – Sophie Eppelstun (Australia) 71-71
146 – Sarah Cho Ser-yeong (Australia) 71-75
Boys’ Under-16
135 – Nguyen Tuan Anh (Vietnam) 65-70
138 – Ho Anh Huy (Vietnam) 69-69
141 – Reshan Algama (Sri Lanka) 70-71
143 – Daichi Hayashi (Japan) 69-74
144 – Arshvant Srivastava (India) 74-70
Girls’ Under-16
144 – Pimpakorn Panyadilok (Thailand) 71-73
146 – Ai Goto (Japan) 73-73
147 – Kaya Daluwatte (Sri Lanka) 77-70
148 – Camilla Kim (Australia) 74-74; Leung Hei-tong (Hong Kong) 73-75
