South Korea’s Hye-Jin Choi held a two-stroke advantage after the second round of the Buick LPGA Shanghai, despite carding a 2-over 74 in challenging windy conditions at Sheshan Golf Club on Friday. Choi’s total stands at 6-under 138 as she pursues her first victory on the LPGA Tour.

Choi’s round included two birdies and four bogeys, with a difficult stretch of three bogeys over six holes on the front nine. Reflecting on her career, Choi noted that this is her fifth year on the tour, and while she has had several opportunities in the past, she has yet to secure a win. “I had a lot of experience through that, and through the experience if I win this week … maybe next time I have another chance, this experience will also help me,” she said.

Trailing Choi by two strokes are compatriot Amy Yang, who posted a 71 on Friday, and Australia’s Grace Kim, who shot 72. Both players are tied at 4-under for the tournament. Yang was among just six golfers to finish under par in the round, recording four birdies against three bogeys. “Definitely playing tough, yeah,” she said. “With the wind picked up today, yeah, it was tough.”

Kim also faced difficult wind conditions and chose to focus on patience throughout the day. She made one bogey and one birdie on both the front and back nine. “This is a beast of a golf course,” Kim remarked. “And with the wind picking up today, like I just had to play as most patient as possible. You know, we had a bit of gusts here and there and a few waits as well, so I feel like the momentum kind of kept getting stopped.”

One shot further behind at 3-under are Japan’s Erika Hara (72) and Rio Takeda (73), along with Spain’s Carlota Ciganda (74). Defending champion Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand and hometown favorite Ruoning Yin are tied for seventh place at 2-under after rounds of 73 and 74, respectively.

The second round also saw two notable aces. South Korea’s Minji Kang made a hole-in-one on the 178-yard sixth hole using a 6-hybrid, while Thailand’s Natthakritta Vongtaveelap aced the 148-yard fourth hole with a 9-iron. Kang expressed surprise and delight at her achievement, marking her second hole-in-one of the year.

This year marks the sixth edition of the Buick LPGA Shanghai and the first hosted at Sheshan Golf Club, a 6,735-yard course that previously held the HSBC Champions tournament 11 times. The event is the first stop on the LPGA Tour’s late-season Asian Swing, which will continue with tournaments in South Korea, Malaysia, and Japan.