Seoyoseop's 4-Stroke Big Win "I'm Also a Major Champ"... Jeong Seonil in 2nd Place

Final Day of 64th KPGA Championship: 3-Under Par for a 4-Stroke Victory, 5-Year Tour Card and PGA Tour The CJ Cup Ticket Included

Seo Yoseop is cheering at the moment his victory is confirmed on the final day of the KPGA Championship. Photo by KPGA

[Asia Economy Kim Hyun-jun, Golf Specialist Reporter] "I am also a major champ."

Seo Yo-seop (25, DB Insurance) has won a major. On the 15th, at A-One Golf Course in Yangsan, Gyeongnam (par 70, 6,971 yards), the final day of the 64th KPGA Championship on the Korean Professional Golf (KPGA) Korean Tour, he added 3 under par to complete a dominant 4-stroke victory (18 under par, 262 strokes). This is his second career win, coming 2 years and 2 months after the KEB Hana Bank Invitational in June 2019. He earned a prize money of 200 million won, a 5-year tour card, and various rewards including a ticket to the PGA Tour's The CJ Cup in October.

Seo Yo-seop made headlines by winning the KEB Hana Bank Invitational immediately after finishing runner-up in a 21-hole playoff against Lee Hyung-joon (29) in the Munsingwear Match Play final in June 2019. The slump over the past two years was rather unexpected. This year, he did not even make a top 10 in nine tournaments, which was frustrating. He said, "My shot feel wasn't bad, but I was always disappointed with the finishing. Recently, my ability to handle crisis situations has improved."

This tournament showed remarkable consistency with rounds of 5 under, 6 under, 4 under, and 3 under par. Starting the day tied for the lead, he recorded six birdies and three bogeys. The highlight was back-to-back birdies on holes 16 and 17. On the final 18th hole (par 4), leading by 5 strokes, his tee shot landed in the water on the right side of the fairway, but he went ahead with the shot, adding a fan service element. The result was a bogey with 3 on and 2 putts, a score that naturally did not affect his victory.

It is interesting that Seo Yo-seop declared his intention to challenge the PGA Korn Ferry Tour Qualifying Tournament. He expressed a grand ambition, saying, "I will focus on the domestic stage first, and if the opportunity arises, I will go to the Qualifying Tournament (QT)." Jeong Seon-il (Canada) finished second (14 under par, 266 strokes), Park Jun-won (35) third (13 under par, 267 strokes), and Park Sang-hyun (38, Dong-A Pharmaceutical) fourth (12 under par, 268 strokes). The money list leader Kim Joo-hyung (19, CJ Logistics) faltered with 1 under par and remained tied for 13th (7 under par, 273 strokes).

Seo Yoseop is holding the trophy and posing for a commemorative photo immediately after winning the KPGA Championship. Photo by KPGA

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