Jin-Young Ko has been chosen as the main character of the 200-time Korean player on the LPGA Tour.
On the 24th, on the last day of the LPGA BMW Ladies Championship (total prize of $2 million) held at LPGA International Busan (par 72) in Gijang-gun, Busan, Jinyoung Ko took the final round of 22-under-par 266 and beat Lim Hee-jeong to win the championship after an overtime match.
Jin-young Ko, who is ranked second in the world, received a prize of $300,000 (about 350 million won) with this win, and will retake the world’s number one place next week.
As a result, Korean players collaborated to win 200 LPGA Tour wins in 33 years after winning the ‘Standard Register Classic’ in March 1988, when the late Ok-hee Koo, former president of the Korea Women’s Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) was active.
Except for the US, Korea is the only country on the LPGA Tour to achieve 200 victories. Golf Empress Annika Sorenstam’s Sweden also currently has only 118 wins.
Jinyoung Ko was the first to reach 4 wins in the LPGA Tour season following the VOA Classic in July this year, the Cambia Portland Classic in September, and the Founders Cup earlier this month, and achieved 197-200 victories in a career as a Korean player.
Jinyoung Ko started the game with four shots behind the lead Lim Hee-jung in the third round on the day, but caught up with Lim Hee-jung by catching up-and-down birdies on the 2nd-4th and 7th-9th holes.
Hee-jeong Lim played flawless play for four days in a row, but allowed Jin-young Ko to pursue the ‘buddy show’, and eventually gave up the trophy to Jin-young Ko’s birdie in the first round of overtime. If Lim Hee-jung wins this tournament, she will be able to secure a place in the LPGA.
Kim A-rim also spit out 10 birdies on the same day and tied for third place along with Canadians Lydia Ko, Anna Lin, and Lee Da-yeon.
Yoo Hae-ran and Jeon In-ji finished the tournament in a tie for 7th in the final total of 16-under 272.
