Fourth major KB Championship title of the year
“Desperation worked” eight years after debut
Ko Gun-taek wins KPGA Shinhan Donghae Open
Thailand’s Kongwatmai Nurgo wins for third time this season
Park Ji-young smiles with her trophy.
Park Ji-young, 27, won her first major title on the Korean Ladies Professional Golf (KLPGA) Tour, becoming the first player to make it three wins in a season.
Park carded two birdies and a bogey for a 1-under 71 in the final round of the KB Financial Star Championship,
The fourth major of the season on the KLPGA Tour, at Blackstone Golf Club (Par 72) in Icheon-si on Tuesday.
Park, who entered the final day in third place, two strokes behind the leader, shot a final total of 2-under-par 286 to win by three strokes over the second-place group of Kim Min Byul (19), 한국야동 Lee Ye Won (20) and Lee Ga Young (24).
Park, who made her KLPGA Tour debut in 2015, had won six tournaments before this one, but had never won a major.
She missed the cut at the KLPGA Championship, her first major of the season, and failed to crack the top 10 at the other two majors.
Park was especially excited to win the same tournament today, as her best major finish in her nine years on tour was a runner-up finish at the 2017 event.
“When I saw the trophy on display at the venue where the major was being held, I thought, ‘Maybe one day it will be mine,’ and I’m really happy to win a major like this,” Park said, smiling broadly.
Park Ji-young
Bathes in her first major victory Park Ji-young is doused in congratulations by her teammates and caddies after winning the KB Financial Star Championship.
The fourth major of the Korean Ladies Professional Golf (KLPGA) Tour season, at Blackstone Golf Club in Icheon on Tuesday.
Park, who made her KLPGA Tour debut in 2015, claimed her first major trophy of the season and her first three wins of the season.
Park was the first to reach the three-win plateau. After winning the Hana Financial Group Singapore
Women’s Open, her first event of the season, and the EverCollagen in July, Park was tied with Lee Ye-won, Im Jin-hee (25) and Park Min-ji (25) for second place on the season.
Park said, “The course was difficult, so I thought I would protect it as much as possible today and take my chances when they came.
My patience and perseverance led to the win,” Park said, adding, “My desire to win more than anything else was the biggest driving force behind my victory.”
With her first-place prize of KRW 216 million, Park moved into second place on the prize money list (KRW 923.13 million) and second place on the grand prize points list.
With her stroke average at the top of the leaderboard, Park has emerged as a strong contender for all individual titles, including prize money, grand prize, 성인웹툰 and most wins.
Park hasn’t won an individual title since she was crowned Rookie of the Year in 2015.
Ko Gun-taek
Watches his ball fly after hitting his second shot on the fourth hole of the final round of the 39th Shinhan Donghae Open on the Korea Professional Golf (KPGA) Korean Tour at Club 72 in Incheon on Tuesday.
Go Gun-taek
24, earned his first three victories of the season on Sunday at the Korea Professional Golf Association (KPGA) Korean Tour’s Shinhan Donghae Open at the par-72 Incheon Club.
It is the first time in five years that a player has won three times in a season on the KPGA Korean Tour since Park Sang-hyun (40) did so in 2018.
Ko carded an eagle, five birdies, one bogey and a double bogey in the final four rounds of the day for a 4-under 68.
With a final total of 19-under-par 269, Ko defeated his compatriot Pachara Kongwatmai (Thailand) in a first-round playoff.
Ko, who has played on the Korean Tour since 2020, picked up his third win of the season after the DB Insurance PromiOpen in April and the Honors K-Solago CC Hanjangsang Invitational in July.
“I was aiming for one win, but I didn’t know I’d end up with three,” said Ko, 19가이드03 who took home 252 million won in prize money. “Now I’ll play for the grand prize.”