Hanwha Classic wins the first time in his career with a total of 1 over par on the last day
Hong Ji-won, 22, in her second year of the Korean Women’s Professional Golf (KLPGA) tour, won the first major championship in her career through a difficult course armed with a deep rough.
On the 28th, in the final round of the third major tournament Hanwha Classic of the KLPGA Tour season held at Jade Palace Golf Club (par 72) in Chuncheon-si, Gangwon-do, Hong Ji-won hit an even-par 72 and won with a total of 1-over-par 289 in 4 rounds.
Hong Ji-won, who started on the KLPGA tour last year, was an unknown player who did not have a chance to make a name for himself as he was placed in the top 10 only four times last year and this year.
At the Jade Palace Golf Club, which is equipped with a deep rough that exceeds 100 mm and a fast and hard green, Hong Ji-won enjoyed the joy of winning the first championship in his career following playing the most stable for four days.
Hong Ji-won, who beat Min-ji Park (24) by four strokes and received 225 million won in prize money, jumped to 20th place (39.31 million won) in the prize money ranking.
Hong Ji-won received only 263.92 million won in prize money from 47 competitions during the two seasons before this competition.
Hong Ji-won, who was only 82nd in the prize money ranking (57.31 million won), who was worried regarding securing a seed next year, secured a seed until 2025 with this win.
Hong Ji-won stood tall as the ‘Queen’ of the Jade Palace Golf Club with this win following a tie for third place last year.
Hong Ji-won, who barely lost a stroke in difficult courses such as 71 shots in the first round, 72 shots in the second round, and 74 shots in the third round, was calm in the final round of the champion group for the first time.
Hong Ji-won, who started the final round with a solo lead by three strokes, maintained the lead by continuing a par streak until the 6th hole.
Rather, the pursuers fell first.
Jung Yun-ji (22) and Ha Min-song (26), who started tied for second place by three strokes, lost two strokes each until the 6th hole and lost the power of chasing early.
The players who were in the reverse range, such as Park Min-ji (24), Kim Su-ji (26), and Lim Jin-hee (24), also forgot to hit the ball from the beginning and moved away from the pursuit.
When Hong Ji-won caught a chip-shot birdie on the 7th hole (par 3), the gap from the 2nd group widened by 6 strokes.
Hong Ji-won blocked the pursuit by catching a 3-meter birdie on the 12th hole (par 5) following Park Min-ji chased following him with a birdie on three consecutive holes.
Hong Ji-won lost one stroke on the 15th hole (par 4), but immediately made up for it with a 3m birdie on the 16th hole (par 3), effectively putting a wedge in the game.
Hong Ji-won, who tried to attack the 18th hole (par 5) with 4 strokes left even following bogging down on the 16th and 17th holes (par 4), might not put a 5m birdie putt, but ended up crying following finishing with a complete win.
As Hong Ji-won might not reduce the number of strokes in the final round, on the KLPGA Tour, Park Seong-hyun (29) won the Korean Open with a 1-over par in 2015.
Hong Ji-won, along with Hong Jin-young (22), is one of the two players who have never recorded a double-bogey score over the course of four days.
In particular, Hong Ji-won recorded only 15 bogeys in four days, losing the least number of strokes among the players.
After making a double bogey on the 7th hole (par 3) by a bunker shot, Minji Park rebounded by catching birdies on 3 holes in a row.
Park Min-ji, who took the runner-up prize of 154 million won, which is equivalent to the prize money for winning any tournament, firmly maintained the first place in the prize money ranking.
Jung Yun-ji, Ha Min-song, and Kim Su-ji tied for third place (7 over par 295).
Park Ji-young (26) hit the daily best score of 4-under 68 and tied for sixth place (8-over-par 296).
Hae-ran Ha (21), who finished the tournament with a tie for 10th (11 over par 299), maintained the first place in the target points.
Newcomer Seo-yeon Yoo (19), who took a surprise lead in the first round, was awarded Hanwha Life Insurance’s Pension Insurance that’s Right for Me, worth 20 million won, on the 7th hole (par 3) hole-in-one.
/yunhap news
