'Prize Money Leader' Kim Bi-o Already Has 2 Wins "Did You See the 8-Under Surge?"... Choi Kyung-ju Tied for 7th

SK Telecom Open Final Day 8-Under Par Perfect Play, Kang Yoon-seok 2nd Place, Maeng Dong-seop and Kim Min-gyu Tied 3rd Place

Kim Bi-o is holding the trophy and posing for a commemorative photo immediately after winning the SK Telecom Open. Photo by KPGA

[Asia Economy Golf Specialist Reporter Kim Hyun-joon] "Already 2 wins."

'Prize Money Leader' Kim Bi-o (32, Hoban Construction) has swept 2 wins in 3 tournaments. On the 5th, at the final day of the KPGA Korean Tour SK Telecom Open (total prize money 1.3 billion KRW) held at Pinx Golf Club in Seogwipo, Jeju Island (par 71, 7,326 yards), he completed a dominant victory by 7 strokes (19-under 265) with a perfect 8-under-par performance. This is his second win of the season following last month's GS Caltex Maekyung Open, his 8th career win, and the winner's prize money is a whopping 260 million KRW.

Kim Bi-o is a player who became the 'youngest domestic winner' at the Johnny Walker Open in August 2010, and achieved back-to-back wins at the GS Caltex Maekyung Open and SK Telecom Open in May 2012, also claiming the prize money king title. He challenged the PGA Tour Qualifying (Q) School in December 2010 and went to the U.S. in 2011 but unfortunately failed to maintain his tour card. After struggling on the Korn Ferry (second-tier) Tour in 2012 and 2013, he eventually made a 'U-turn' back to the domestic circuit in 2014.

Kim Bi-o's victory at the Gunsan CC Jeonbuk Open in April 2019 is even more meaningful. It is important to note that in September, during the Daegu Gyeongbuk Open, he received a severe penalty of a '3-year suspension' for making a finger gesture. The KPGA reduced this to '1 year' in October, then granted a special pardon again in July 2020, and he made a comeback by winning the LG Signature last November. He vowed, "I will repay the fans with a more mature appearance."

Starting the day tied for the lead, he made 8 birdies. He gained momentum with consecutive birdies on holes 1-2 and 4-5, and added birdies on holes 8, 10, 14, and 16. Kang Yoon-seok (36) finished 2nd (12-under 272), while Maeng Dong-seop (35) and Kim Min-gyu (21) tied for 3rd (11-under 273). 'Tank' Choi Kyung-ju (52, SK Telecom) showed strong finishing with 6-under to finish tied 7th (10-under 274). PGA Tour member Kim Sung-hyun (24, Shinhan Financial Group) remained tied for 20th (6-under 278).

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