CAVINTI, Laguna — Korean Kim Seoyun pulled ahead with a solid frontside surge and steady play coming home, holding off a fiery rally from Sarah Ababa and capitalizing on Princess Superal’s costly late-round stumbles to emerge as the surprise leader with a 69 in the opening round of the ICTSI Caliraya Springs Championship here Tuesday.

Kim anchored her round with birdies on Nos. 4 and 7, spiking a 34-35 card in hot conditions at the Lakeside course and taking early control of the P1 million, 54-hole championship as Ababa ran out of holes in a torrid backside charge to settle for a 70, and Superal squandered a three-under round with a bogey-bogey finish for a 71.

Martina Miñoza also rallied with two birdies in the last five holes at the front, while Florence Bisera dropped a shot on the 18th and joined Superal at third.

With just two strokes separating the top five, the race for the crown shapes up to be a test of will, poise and finishing strength.

Chihiro Ikeda strung up three birdies in a four-hole stretch from No. 3 but gave up a stroke on the ninth to settle for an even-par 72 for solo sixth, while defending champion Harmie Constantino continued to struggle for consistency, mixing three birdies with four bogeys for a 73 and a share of seventh with Korea’s Eun Hua Nam.

Nam actually grabbed a share of the early lead after a one-under backside start but faltered coming home with a 38, marred by a double bogey on the par-4 No. 2.

Tiffany Lee, trying to recapture the form that saw her win her pro debut at Splendido Taal, closed out with a birdie on the ninth to save a 74 despite an otherwise erratic round featuring a bogey and a double bogey. Still, she remained within striking distance, just five shots off the pace.

Mafy Singson, who had a decent frontside performance of 36, lost grip with a double bogey on No. 13 and two more bogeys on the back nine, offsetting a lone birdie on the par-5 16th and slipping to a 75.

Kim, looking to redeem herself from a near-miss here at Caliraya Springs in 2023, revealed a renewed focus on putting after making key adjustments during the offseason of the circuit organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments Inc.

“I missed a nine-footer on No. 10, my first hole, and a couple more after that. I didn’t do anything special today, just played normal,” Kim said.

“It’s hard to make good strokes, so I changed my putter and spent four hours a day on the practice green. I think it’s really working.”

She also credited her coach for helping her regain confidence and emphasized her motivation to make up for her failed bid two years ago.

“I missed winning here in 2023. That was a big feeling for me,” she said.

“This time, I want to do my best. I’ll do everything I can to win.”

Ababa, one of the local tour’s most seasoned campaigners, stood just one stroke back after a dramatic comeback. She rebounded from a three-over card through 10 holes by nearly acing No. 11 and riding the momentum with a string of birdies on Nos. 14 to 16 before closing with another on 18.

“That near hole-in-one really sparked my bounce back,” the Iloilo leg winner last year said.

“I stayed consistent with my irons and just stuck to my game.”

Dividing her time between teaching and competing, Ababa carries a no-pressure mindset into the final two rounds.

“I’ll just play my game and not think about the outcome.”