The final four rounds of the Lotte Open ($1.2 billion in prize money) on the Korea Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) Tour concluded on Sunday at the Bears Best Cheongna Golf Club U.S.-Oriental Asia Course (par-72) in western Incheon, South Korea. Yoon In-na (21, Haight-Jinro), who finished runner-up in a four-way playoff at the BC Card-Hankyung Ladies Cup two weeks ago, and Choi Yerim (25, Daebo E&C) and Lee Ga-young (25, NH Investment & Securities), who tied for runner-up in a playoff at the McCall-Mona Yongpyong Open last week, are tied for third. In the extra play on the 18th hole (par-4), Choi and Yoon landed their second shots at similar distances of about 3.5 meters from the hole, and Lee followed suit with a 1.5-meter shot. 안전한 파워볼사이트 Yoon In Na and Choi Yerim were determined to make birdie as they had recently suffered an overtime loss. However, both players’ shots just missed the cup and Lee, smiling in triumph, sank an easy birdie to end the long match.
Lee carded two birdies and a bogey on the day to finish one stroke under par. With a final total of 18-under-par 270, Lee hugged the winner’s trophy in a playoff with Yoon In-na and Choi Ye-rim, who have been on a recent upswing. Lee, who won her first regular tour title in October 2022 at the Dongbu E&C-Korea Land Trust Championship in her 98th event, now has two career victories in one year and nine months. The winner’s check was worth 216 million won.
Entering the final round with a three-stroke lead, Lee continued her frustrating run of form, failing to drop a single shot in the opening round. She made her first birdie on the 12th (par-3), but bogeyed the 16th (par-4) to drop back to even par. While Lee faltered, Yoon In Na went on a tear, carding nine birdies without a bogey to take the lead, and Choi Yerim joined her at six under. Lee refused to give up the lead. She drained a 6-meter birdie putt on the 17th hole (par-3) to dramatically regain the lead and lift the trophy in a playoff. Lee suffered an incontinence injury to the fourth finger bone on her right hand in mid-May, but she battled back to compete in the tournament while the bone was healing. “Winning the tournament in front of my family brought tears to my eyes,” said Lee, who burst into tears after her winning putt.
Yoon In Na shot a course-record 9-under 63 in the final round to win the tournament, but again fell just short of the title. Choi Yerim also came close to winning her first title in her 175th start, but had to settle for her eighth runner-up finish.
