South Korea’s BIO Kim reached nine career victories on the Korean Professional Golf (KPGA) Tour after a thrilling eagle on the 72nd hole to force a playoff.
Kim defeated Hwang Jung-gon in a playoff on the final day of the KPGA Korean Tour LX Championship ($600 million in prize money) at The Heaven Country Club (Par 72) in Daebudo, Ansan-si, Gyeonggi-do, on Wednesday.
The pair finished the fourth round with identical 21-under-par 267 totals to force a playoff on the 18th hole (par-5).
After the first overtime session ended with both players making par, the second overtime session on the same 18th hole was decided when Hwang’s tee shot with his driver sailed into the left OB area.
Hwang made bogey, and Kim, who teed off with a hybrid club after seeing Hwang’s tee shot error, put his ball on the green in three and then eagled to secure the win.
It was Kim’s ninth career victory on the KPGA’s Corion Tour, one year and three months after winning the SK Telecom Open in June last year.
He took home 120 million won.
After sharing the lead in the first and second rounds, Kim took over the lead in the third round and pulled off a wire-to-wire victory.
Trailing Hwang by two strokes through 17 holes, Kim holed an eagle putt on the 18th (par-5) with his second shot after dropping his ball 2.5 meters short of the hole to extend the match.
Hwang Joong-gon carded 10 birdies without a bogey in the fourth round for a 10-under 62, but he couldn’t get over the final hurdle.
Hwang’s 62 was one shot under the course record of 63 set by Seo Yosub in the first round of this event last year, but it did not qualify as a new course record as it was shot under the Preferred Rules.
Ham, who swept eight birdies without a bogey, took sole possession of the lead at one point, but had to settle for a second-place finish (20-under-par 268) after a strong showing by Hwang Jung-gon.
Seven strokes back in fourth place (19-under 269) was Lee Tae-hee, while Hangzhou Asian Games representative Jang Yubin, who is trying to become the first amateur in KPGA Korean Tour history to win back-to-back titles, shot a 4-under 68 to finish fifth (18-under 270). 토토사이트