After the second day in Busan, Korea, KLPGA winners Hee Jeong Lim and Na Rin An hold a narrow co-lead at -11 at the BMW Ladies Championship. Their 36-hole 133 score is the new record for the event, besting the mark set by Danielle Kang in the inaugural event. Lim has hit 28 of 28 fairways and is the only player in the field to go bogey-free through 36 holes at LPGA International Busan. She said starting strong with birdies in her first two holes helped create momentum for the 21-year-old.

“I'm a player that needs to start off well. So I really focus on my first and second holes. And I think once you play well in your first two holes, then you're at an ease for the following holes. So I think that worked well today,” said Lim, who finished the day with a 6-under 66. “And in terms of the course itself, I think we can get an opportunity to snatch many birdies here. So I tried to aim for that. So I tried to work on my shot.”

An followed up her first-round 64 with a 3-under 69. She made her first birdie of four on No. 6 after a string of pars and notched one lone bogey for the day on No. 8. “Actually I did have some birdie chances in the beginning; however, I misread the break, and that led to some missed shots,” said An. “However, in hole 6 and 7, I was to read the break well, and I think that worked well altogether.”

Lim and An will both sleep on the 36-hole lead for the first time in an LPGA Tour event, with a pack of players close on their heels. Major champions Kang and In Gee Chun sit in a tie for third at -10 after second-round 68 and 69s, respectively. Chun carded three birdies in her first four holes, but battled windy conditions on the back nine, notching two bogeys and two birdies through her final six holes.

“I missed two short putts. I always try to make bogey-free round. That's my goal. So next two days I'm trying to make bogey-free round again and trying to make birdie as much as I can,” said Chun, whose 34 rounds in the 60s leads the LPGA Tour this season.

Jin Young Ko rebounded from a 1-under-71 on Thursday to tie Kang (2019) and An’s (2021) 18-hole record of 64 to sit in solo fifth at -9. “So yesterday it was raining. So that made the play very tough. But the weather was much better today,” said Ko. “I think I was able to play well. But yesterday I didn't play as well as I had expected. However, today I started off in 10, so I think that kind of relieved my pressure as well. So my swing went well, my putting went well, and overall that made me able to snatch many birdies.”

Six-time LPGA Tour winner Minjee Lee and KLPGA’s Hae Ran Ryu are tied for sixth at -8, with four players tied for eighth at -7 including 2020 U.S. Women’s Open champion A Lim Kim. Ga Young Lee, who is T44 heading into the weekend, recorded her second-career ace in competition on No. 6 from 178 yards with her 8-iron. “I think the shot landed really well on the green, and it kind of rolled down. And that was how I was able to make it,” said Lee.

Defending champion Ha Na Jang posted a 69 on Friday and is tied for 52nd.

Two Tied for 36-Hole Lead at the BMW Ladies Championship

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