‘Eldest Sister’ Ji Eun-hee "I'm the ‘Match Queen’~"…‘Breaking Korea's Oldest Winner Record’ (Comprehensive)

Bank of Hope Match Play Final: Hurue Defeats with '4-Hole Lead' for 6th Career Win, Bu Beats Lee for 3rd Place

Jieunhee (left) is celebrating with her caddie after securing victory at the 16th hole of the Bank of Hope Match Play final. Las Vegas, USA = Getty Images/Multibits

[Asia Economy Reporter No Woo-rae] The 'eldest sister' Ji Eun-hee (36, Hanwha Q CELLS) has been crowned the 'Match Queen.'

On the 30th (Korean time), at the Shadow Creek Golf Course in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA (par 72, 6,777 yards), Ji Eun-hee defeated Ayaka Furue (Japan) by 3 holes in the final of the LPGA Tour Bank of Hope Match Play (total prize money $1.5 million). This marks her 6th career victory, her first in 3 years and 4 months since the Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions in January 2019, with a winner's prize of $225,000 (28 million KRW). It is also Korea's third win of the 2022 season.

Similar to the FIFA World Cup in soccer, 64 players were divided into 16 groups, with the top player from each group advancing to the round of 16, where the winner was decided through one-on-one match play. Ji Eun-hee took an early lead when Furue made a double bogey on the 3rd hole (par 4), easily conceding the hole. Furue then made a bogey on the 4th hole (par 5), giving the hole back. Although Ji wavered with a three-putt bogey on the 5th hole (par 5), she bounced back with a birdie on the 8th hole (par 3), a shot eagle on the 9th hole (par 5), and a par on the 10th hole (par 4), moving ahead by 2 holes.

After losing the 11th hole (par 4), Ji secured the championship by winning the 12th and 16th holes (par 5). Ji faced her biggest challenge in the third group stage match. Trailing Kelly Tan (Malaysia) by 2 holes until the 16th hole, she dramatically tied the match by winning the 17th and 18th holes. After advancing from the group stage with 2 wins and 1 draw, she cruised through the knockout rounds, defeating Choi Hye-jin (23, Lotte) in the round of 16, Madelene Saxstr?m (Sweden) in the quarterfinals, and Andrea Lee (USA) in the semifinals.

Winning relatively easily and conserving energy also helped significantly. Ji Eun-hee debuted on the LPGA Tour in 2007 and is a veteran with 6 career wins, including one major title. By winning this tournament at the age of 36 years and 17 days, she broke the record for the oldest Korean champion. Ji said, "It was physically and mentally tough," adding, "My shot feel was very good throughout the tournament," and cheered, "Thinking positively and playing accordingly paid off."

Ayaka Furue is teeing off at the 14th hole in the Bank of Hope Match Play final. Las Vegas, USA = Getty Images / Multibits

Rookie Furue aimed for her first LPGA Tour victory but could not overcome Ji Eun-hee's experience. This is her personal best result. She qualified 7th in last year's LPGA Q-Series and joined the U.S. stage this year. She has accumulated 7 wins on the Japan LPGA (JLPGA) Tour and was awarded the JLPGA Player of the Year last season. In the 3rd-4th place match, Lilia Vu (USA) crushed Andrea Lee by 4 holes, marking her third 'Top 10' finish of the season.

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