At the opening match, Hana Financial Singapore Open, there were only 6 birdies on the final day. Oh Soo-min , a 16-year-old amateur, ranked 3rd, winning 200 million won in prize money, beating Bang Shin-sil with a total of 17 under by 1 stroke.
Jaehee Kim is enjoying being showered with congratulatory water from fellow players after winning the Hana Financial Group Singapore Women's Open, the opening match of the 2024 season of the Korea Ladies Professional Golf (KLPGA) Tour, on the 10th. Jaehee Kim, making her Tour debut in 2021, earned her first win on her own 23rd birthday. The small photo on the left is Kim Jae-hee holding her winning trophy.
Kim Jae-hee (23), in her fourth year on the Korean Ladies Professional Golf (KLPGA) Tour, celebrated her birthday with her first win since her debut.
Jaehee Kim recorded 6 under par 66 with no bogeys in the final 4th round of the Hana Financial Group Singapore Women's Open, the KLPGA Tour season opener held at Tanah Merah Country Club (par 72) in Singapore on the 10th. Jaehee Kim, who posted her final total of 17 under par 271 strokes, beat Shinsil Bang (16 under par 272 strokes) by one stroke and lifted her first trophy on tour. Her winning prize is 198,000 Singapore dollars (about 196 million won).
Jaehee Kim, who represented the country during her amateur days, is the money winner of her career with three wins on the 2020 KLPGA 2nd Lady Dream Tour. Amid much anticipation, she debuted on the KLPGA Tour the following year, but she had not won a single title while competing in 90 tournaments until last year. In particular, she was in the final round at the S-Oil Championship in November last year, and at one point she was the sole leader, but due to heavy rain, the rankings were determined only by the performance in rounds 1 to 3, so she had to be satisfied with a joint runner-up finish. .
After winning that day, Jaehee Kim said, “I was so upset at the time. “I was worried because there was talk that the weather might not be good today,” he said. “I really wanted to win, and I was confident that I could win.”
Even before this competition, he had a positive attitude, saying, “It’s only a matter of time before I win,” and he grew more confident through winter training. He said, “I thought to myself that there was no problem with my shots since last year. Putt and short game were problems, which I tried to solve through field training. “Some days, I just practiced putting all day,” he said.
The long-awaited victory did not take long. Jaehee Kim did not miss the opportunity that came at this tournament, which was his season opener and his 91st appearance on the KLPGA Tour. Kim Jae-hee, who started the final round in second place, three strokes behind Oh Soo-min (16), tied for the lead with three consecutive birdies from the 4th to 6th holes. Afterwards, Kim Jae-hee, who was competing with Oh Soo-min for the lead, hit the second shot 1m from the pin at the 13th hole (par 4) and then made a birdie to become the sole leader. Soon after, she added a birdie at the 14th hole (par 3), solidifying her victory. “I received such a precious gift,” said Jaehee Kim, who was born on March 10, 2001 and won on her 23rd birthday. Until yesterday, his first goal was to win. “I won today, so now I’ve changed my goal to winning the prize money and the grand prize,” he said.
Oh Soo-min missed out on her first amateur title in seven years, but finished the tournament in sole third place (15 under par, 273 strokes) and received the Best Amateur trophy. Oh Soo-min attracted the attention of the galleries by sending a driver shot farther than the long hitter Bang Shin-sil, who played with him. He even hit driver on the 18th and final hole on his second shot for an eagle attempt.
If Oh Soo-min (15 years, 5 months, 23 days), born on September 16, 2008, won on this day, she could have become the fourth youngest winner in KLPGA Tour history. Oh Soo-min, who tied for 9th place at the Kyochon 1991 Ladies Open in May last year, achieved her best personal performance in this tournament. Oh Soo-min said, “I learned a lot while playing against his older sisters in the champion group. He was in the lead until yesterday, but his personal goal was to be in the 'top five'. “If I get the chance, I would like to compete in a professional competition again this year and try to make the top five again,” he said. 성인웹툰