Jo Ah-yeon Comeback Victory "I'm Also a Multiple Winner~"..."Next Target is a Major"

Hoban Seoul Shinmun Women's Classic Final Day 4-Under Par '2-Stroke Victory', Haminsong and Hwang Jeongmi Tied for 2nd Place

Jo Ah-yeon is cheering immediately after winning the Hoban Seoul Shinmun Women's Classic. Photo by KLPGA

[Asia Economy Golf Specialist Reporter Kim Hyun-jun] "Next target is a major."

Jo Ah-yeon (22, Dongbu Construction) recorded a 4-under-par on the final day of the KLPGA Tour Hoban Seoul Shinmun Women's Classic (total prize money 1 billion KRW) held on the 24th at H1 Club in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province (par 72, 6,654 yards), achieving a come-from-behind victory with a total score of 12-under-par 204. This is her second win of the season and fourth career victory, following her wire-to-wire win at the Kyochon Honey Ladies Open in May, earning a winner's prize of 180 million KRW.

Starting from a two-stroke behind tied for second place, Jo Ah-yeon combined six birdies and two bogeys, including three consecutive birdies from holes 8 to 10. Although her greens in regulation rate was only 66.67%, her 'green play' stood out with 26 solid putts. Notably, on the 8th hole (par 3), she made a lucky birdie as her chip shot circled the hole before dropping in, and on holes 9 and 10, she sank challenging mid-range putts of 5 to 6 meters. She sealed the victory with an 8-meter birdie putt on the 17th hole (par 3).

Most importantly, following Park Min-ji (24, NH Investment & Securities, 3 wins), Jo Ah-yeon became the second 'multiple winner' of the season. Currently ranked 5th in the prize money rankings with 434.07 million KRW, she is a strong contender for the 'Number 1' spot in the second half of the season. This is why she declared, "Next, I want to win a major." It is interesting that Jo Ah-yeon has recently been building her stamina through boxing. She expressed confidence, saying, "I plan to participate in all tournaments in the second half of the season," and "I am especially strong against the heat, so I expect to add more wins in August and September."

Ha Min-song (26, Lotte) and Hwang Jeong-mi (23) tied for second place with 10-under-par 206. The 'unknown storm' of first-day leader Lee Je-young (21) stopped at a tie for fourth place (9-under-par 207). After posting a life-best 9-under-par on the first day, she faltered with 1-under-par on the second day, and on the final day, she could not overcome the pressure of the champion group, playing a rollercoaster round with 1-over-par. 'Ever Collagen Champ' Yoon Yi-na (19, Hite Jinro) remained tied for 15th place with 7-under-par 209.

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