South Korea’s Kim Min-kyu made it two wins in as many tournaments at the national title Korean Open golf championship after his ball went into the water and came out.
Kim shot a 5-under-par 66 with one eagle, five birdies and two bogeys in the fourth round on the final day of the Kolon 66th Korean Open at Woojung Hills Country Club (Par 71) in Cheonan, Chungcheongnam-do, on Wednesday.
With a total of 11-under-par 273, Kim returned to the top of the leaderboard two years after winning the 2022 Korea Open and took home the tournament’s biggest prize of 500 million won, the most in Korean golf history.
Kim, who also won the Descent Korea Match Play, which concluded on Feb. 2, has now won two events on the Korea Professional Golf Association (KPGA) Tour for the first time this season and has quickly moved to the top of the season’s money list (KRW 772 million) and the top of the Order of Merit (3,926 points).
He also earned a spot in the British Open (The Open), which is awarded to the winner, and will return to the major in Scotland in July for the first time in two years.
The other D-Open spot went to runner-up Young Han Song.
Song shot an 8-under-par 276 total to finish in sole possession of second place.
Kim Min-kyu, who started the fourth round in a tie for third place, three strokes behind the leader, battled hard early on and eagled the eighth hole (par-5) to move into a share of the lead.
Kim hit his second shot from 227 yards and dropped it to three meters before sinking the eagle putt.
After sinking a 2.5-meter birdie putt on the 12th hole (par-4) to take a three-stroke lead, Kim faced a scary moment on the 13th hole (par-3).
Surrounded by water hazards, Kim’s tee shot flew left of the green and appeared to go into the water, but the ball miraculously bounced back into the rough with a single splash.
Kim’s second shot put the ball on the green and he saved the day with a par.
With a breath of fresh air, Kim added a birdie on the 14th (par-4) to extend his lead to four strokes.
After dropping a shot on the 16th (par-3), Kim was down by two at one point, but he birdied the 18th (par-5) to seal the victory.
Jang Yoo-bin shaved six strokes off his score on the day to chase down the leaders, but finished tied for third with Kang Kyung-nam at 7-under par 277. 파워볼사이트 추천
