Ko Jin-young's First Win Cheers "Waited a Long Time"... Rookie Kastren '1 Stroke Behind, 2nd Place' (Summary)

America Classic Final Day '1-Stroke Victory' 8th Career Win, Lopez 3rd, Lee Jeong-eun6 7th, Kim Hyo-joo 8th 'Finale'

Ko Jin-young is cheering after securing victory at the Amundi Classic. The Colony, USA = Getty Images / Multibits

[Asia Economy Reporter No Woo-rae] ‘Number 2’ Ko Jin-young (26) secured her first victory of the 2021 season.

On the 5th (Korean time), at the Old American Golf Club in The Colony, Texas, USA (par 71, 6,475 yards), she added 2-under par on the final day of the LPGA Tour Volunteers of America (VOA) Classic (total prize money $1.5 million) to complete a one-stroke victory (16-under 268). This is her eighth career win, coming seven months after winning the 2020 season finale, the CME Group Tour Championship, last December. The winner’s prize money was $225,000 (about 250 million KRW).

Following Park In-bi (33, KB Financial Group) and Kim Hyo-joo (26, Lotte), this marks Korea’s third win of the season. Ko Jin-young is the player who, as a non-member in 2017, won the KEB Hana Bank Championship held in Korea and then joined the U.S. tour the following year. At the 2018 ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open, she made a remarkable debut victory. It was the first time in 67 years since Beverly Hanson (USA) defeated golf legend Babe Zaharias (USA) in 1951.

2019 was her prime year. She swept four wins including two majors, dominating the money list, scoring average, Player of the Year, and the leaders’ ‘Top 10’. She also set a remarkable record of 114 consecutive holes bogey-free. Last year, due to COVID-19, she stayed in Korea and played only four tournaments late in the season but still showed her strength by becoming the ‘money queen’. This year, before this tournament, she had played in 10 events with four top-10 finishes but was frustrated by the lack of a win.

Last week, she lost the ‘Number 1’ spot to Nelly Korda (USA) for the first time in two years, which hurt her pride. She started the first day with an 8-under par round, laying the foundation for victory, and on the third day, despite severe weather conditions, she played 32 holes in a grueling effort. Ko Jin-young started the day one stroke ahead, recording four birdies and two bogeys. She reduced three strokes in the first four holes with consecutive birdies on holes 1 and 2 and a birdie on hole 4 (par 4), making it seem like an easy win.

However, a bogey on hole 5 (par 3) slowed her momentum, and although she birdied hole 10 (par 4), she lost that stroke with a bogey on hole 11 (par 3). She was chased by Matilda Castren (Finland) but maintained par on the remaining seven holes to quench her thirst for victory. This marks her fifth consecutive season with at least one win since 2017. She rose to 7th in the money list ($791,336). “I missed several birdie opportunities, but I’m very happy to win,” she said. “I lost the world No. 1 ranking but didn’t feel much pressure.”

Matilda Castren is teeing off on the 2nd hole of the final day of the America Classic. The Colony, USA = Getty Images / Multibits Photo by Multibits

Rookie Castren was satisfied with a one-stroke runner-up finish (15-under 269). Last month, she became the first Finnish player to win on the LPGA Tour at the Mediheal Championship. Gaby Lopez (Mexico) shot 6-under par to move up to 3rd place (14-under 270). Korea’s Lee Jeong-eun 6 (25, Daebang Construction) finished 7th (11-under 273), Kim Hyo-joo tied for 8th (10-under 274), and Jeon In-ji (27, KB Financial Group) tied for 14th (8-under 276).

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