Lee Tae-hee's 2nd Consecutive Win Drama 'With Dad's Strength'... "This Year, Aiming for Most Wins"

Makgyung Open Final Day 3-Under Par 1-Stroke 'Comeback Show', Cho Mingyu and Lee Junseok Tied for 2nd, Kang Kyungnam 4th

Taehee is cheering immediately after securing victory at the 18th hole on the final day of the Maekyung Open. Photo by GS Caltex Maekyung Open Organizing Committee

[Asia Economy Reporter No Woo-rae] Lee Tae-hee (36, OK Savings Bank) has achieved back-to-back victories.

On the 23rd, at the final 3rd round of the 39th GS Caltex Maekyung Open (total prize money 1 billion KRW) held at Elysian Gangchon Golf Club in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province (par 70, 7001 yards), he shot 3 under par to complete a one-stroke come-from-behind victory (11 under par 199 strokes). This is the first successful title defense since the tournament was established in 1982. It was his first win of the Korean Professional Golf (KPGA) Korean Tour season and his 4th career win, coming 1 year and 3 months after winning this tournament last May. The winner's prize money is 160 million KRW.

Starting from a one-stroke tie for second place, Lee Tae-hee recorded 7 birdies and 4 bogeys. Until the 14th hole (par 3), he was 3 strokes behind the leader Cho Min-kyu (32), making the possibility of a consecutive win seem slim, but consecutive birdies on the 15th and 16th holes brought him within striking distance, and he maintained par on the remaining two holes to achieve a thrilling comeback. With this victory, he rose to 2nd place in both prize money (169.53 million KRW) and points for the season-long award (1321 points). He cheered, saying, "The chip-in birdie on the 15th hole (par 4) was the turning point."

"Winning a major once is difficult enough, but winning it twice and defending the title for the first time makes me very happy," said Lee Tae-hee. "The good preparation paid off, which made it meaningful," he added, expressing his intention to challenge for multiple wins this year. He credited the 'power of family' as the driving force behind his victory. "This morning, I was playing with my children and lost track of time," he explained, "With a relaxed mind, I was able to maintain good condition without tension."

Two-time Japan Golf Tour Organization (JGTO) champion Cho Min-kyu finished with 2 under par, sharing 2nd place (10 under par 200 strokes) with Lee Jun-seok (Australia). Although he was close to his first domestic win, consecutive bogeys on the 17th and 18th holes were disappointing. Kang Kyung-nam (37), who was the leader the previous day, struggled with 2 over par and dropped to a tie for 4th place (7 under par 203 strokes). 'Top prize money earner' Kim Sung-hyun (22, Golfzon) tied for 37th place (1 over par 211 strokes), and 'top points leader' Lee Soo-min (27, Srixon) tied for 43rd place (2 over par 212 strokes).

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.