Hyundai Marine & Marine Engineering (Hyundai Marine) beats Lee Dong-min in overtime at the Choi Kyung-ju Invitational
Lee Hyeong-jun (30), who becomes exceptionally strong when the cold wind of autumn blows, rose once more to the top of the Korean Tour of Korea Professional Golf (KPGA) following three years and four months.
Hyung-Jun Lee won the KPGA Korean Tour Hyundai Marine & Marine Engineering Kyung-Joo Choi Invitational (total prize money of 1.25 billion won) held on the 2nd at the Ferrum Club (par 72) in Yeoju, Gyeonggi-do.
Hyung-Jun Lee and Lee Dong-Min finished the final four rounds with a total of 10-under 278, and played overtime on the 18th hole (par 5).
In the first overtime, both of them missed birdie putts, and the second overtime, played on the same 18th hole, ended with a mistake by Lee Dong-min.
Lee Dong-min’s second shot from the bunker went into the penalty area, and even the fourth shot fell into the bunker and became a double bogey.
Hyeongjun Lee, who hit the green for the first time in three times, did not put a birdie putt, but calmly kept the par and secured the championship.
After winning the Descente Korea Match Play in 2019, Hyung-Jun Lee, who added the trophy for the first time in 40 months, has risen to the height of six career victories.
Hyeongjun Lee won 4 out of 6 wins in the fall.
Lee Hyeong-jun said, “At this time, the dizzy shots seem to be in order.
It seems to me that the swing is a little stiffer than my body works well in the summer when the temperature is high,” he laughed.
Hyeongjun Lee, who served in the military from January 2020 to July last year, enjoyed his first victory following becoming a reserve soldier.
Hyungjun Lee secured a prize of 250 million won and a three-year seed from next year to 2015.
Starting this year, the winner will be seeded for three years.
Hyeongjun Lee said, “I really wanted to win.
“But I thought I wasn’t ready yet, but I won sooner than I thought,” he said. “I want to win one more time this season.”
Hyeongjun Lee, who entered the final round with a tie for ninth place, two shots behind the joint leading group, caught five birdies and blocked one bogey, saving four strokes to win the comeback victory.
Lee Hyung-jun, who said, “It was a two-shot difference, and thought that I might win if I cut five shots before the final round,” Lee Hyeong-jun caught a pleasant birdie from the first hole (par 4) and jumped into the competition for the championship.
The final round of the day was a one-sided battle in which the lead fluctuated whenever the hole was changed.
Hyeongjun Lee said, “I was annoyed every time I missed a chance, but I endured it.”
Hyeongjun Lee, who was chasing Lee Dong-min, who played with him, finally took the lead with a birdie on the 16th hole (par 3).
Competitors collapsed in the swamp.
Lee Jung-hwan (31), who was named joint leader with a 10-under par, dropped his second shot into the pond on the 18th hole (par 5) and was eliminated from the competition for the championship.
Seo Yo-seop (26), who took the lead in the final round and aimed for three wins of the season, was hit by a double bogey on the 17th hole (par 4) while running 9-under, and collapsed with a painful double bogey.
In the final round, Lee Dong-min, who continued the game to overtime by reducing three strokes, also self-destructed on the second hole of extra time.
Lee Hyeong-jun said, “I thought the game was over when Dong-min made a mistake on the second shot, but he didn’t relax until the end.”
He added that he didn’t want to hit the third shot into the hole.
Jeon Seong-hyeon (29), who hit a 6-under 66, and Lee Jeong-hwan, who cut four, tied for third place (9-under 279).
Seo Yo-seop, who tried to win three times in the season, finished the competition with one stroke and tied for 7th (7-under-par 281).
Kang Kyung-nam (39), a ‘baekjeon veteran’ with 11 victories, who also started the final round as a joint lead, lost three strokes and had to be content with a tie for 10th (5-under par 283).
/yunhap news
