adminHong Ji-won, 23, emerged as a bona fide major queen after winning the DB Group 37th Korean Women’s Open ($1.2 billion in prize money), the second major of the 2023 season on the Korean Ladies Professional Golf (KLPGA) Tour.
Hong carded six birdies, three bogeys and a double-bogey to shoot a 1-under 71 in the final four rounds of the tournament at Rainbow Hills Country Club (Par 72) in Eumseong-gun, Chungcheongbuk-do on Monday.
With a final total of 12-under-par 276, Hong Ji-won was tied with Madasom (24) and Kim Min-byul (19) for the title after birdieing the second extra round.
In her second year on the KLPGA Tour, Hong won her first major title at the Hanwha Classic last August, and this was her second career victory in 10 months. With both of her career victories coming in majors, Hong has quickly become the new “Major Queen.
Hong Ji-won, who had only earned about $92 million in prize money this year, tripled that amount to $300 million. She will jump from 36th place on the money list to the top five.
Starting the final round in third place, three strokes behind leader Madasom, Hong struggled on the back nine, dropping two strokes with a double bogey on the second (par-4) and a bogey on the third (par-3). Hong Ji-won reeled off three straight birdies on the 10th through 12th holes to climb back up the leaderboard, but Madasom would not go away.
The match, which looked like it would end with Madasom’s victory, came down to the final 16-18 holes. On the 16th (par-5), with a one-stroke lead, Madasom’s second shot went wide left of the fairway and was lost, and he hit his fourth shot, a tentative one, safely onto the green, leaving him with a challenging 5.3-meter putt. Needing to make the par putt to stay in contention, Madasom drained the long putt, and Hong Ji-won, who was chasing Madasom by one stroke, bogeyed to fall back to two.
Madasom holed a long par putt for eagle to win the 17th (par-3). On the 17th (par-3), his tee shot went into a bunker to the right of the green, and his second shot from the bunker went well over the green and into the opposite rough. Madasom’s approach shot from the rough ended up 9 meters from the pin, leaving him with a double bogey and a share of the lead with Hong Ji-won, who made par on the hole.
On the final 18th hole (par-4), Min Byul Kim celebrated. After a bogey on the 17th (par-3) seemed to knock her out of contention, Kim sank a 5.3-meter birdie putt on the 18th to take a one-stroke lead. She joined Madasom and Hong Ji-won, who also made par, in dramatic overtime.
This is the first time in the history of the Korean Women’s Open that three players have reached the extra round.
Kim was the most aggressive on the first hole of the extra session at the 18th, attacking the green and leaving a 2.2-meter birdie putt, but her nerves got the better of her and her putter was covered and the ball went left of the hole. Madasom and Hong Ji-won also made par, sending the match into a second overtime.토토사이트
Madasom, who teed off first, was eliminated from contention when her ball landed in the penalty area on the left, while Hong Ji-won, who hit her second shot from the rough to one meter to the left of the pin, looked set for victory. Kim Min-byul’s next shot went to the back of the hole. Hong Ji-won didn’t miss the 1-meter birdie putt and celebrated her second major title.
Kim and Madasom tied for second, while Park Min-ji (25) and Hangzhou Asian Games competitor Kim Min-sol (17) tied for fourth at 9-under 279.