Hwang Jeong-mi Wins First Career Victory in Dramatic Playoff Finish... Victory After Intense Extension

KG·Edaily Ladies Open Champion After 65 Matches
Cheers as Kim Suji Defeats Opponent with Birdie on Final Hole and Playoff

[Asia Economy Reporter Byeon Seon-jin] Hwang Jeong-mi (23), who took an 'Insaeng Shot' the day before, enjoyed the joy of her first career victory on the Korean Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) Tour after an overtime battle.

Hwang Jeong-mi is hitting an iron shot on the 1st hole of the final round of the 11th KG·Edaily Ladies Open.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the 4th, Hwang Jeong-mi claimed the winner's trophy by defeating Kim Su-ji (26) in a playoff on the final day of the KLPGA Tour KG·Edaily Ladies Open (total prize money 700 million won) held at Turning Point Country Club (par 72) in Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do. Hwang Jeong-mi, who was the sole leader with a total score of 11-under-par 133 after two rounds, reduced three strokes with six birdies and three bogeys on the day, tying with Kim Su-ji at 14-under-par 202, leading to a playoff after the third round. In the playoff held at the 18th hole (par 5), Hwang Jeong-mi made a 6-meter birdie putt to secure her first victory in her third year since debut.

Eagle-Eagle-Birdie, It Was Nothing Short of a Drama

The competition was intense and nail-biting from the first hole to the last. The protagonist who shook up the early battle was Go Ji-woo (20). Go Ji-woo quickly reduced three strokes with an eagle on the 1st hole (par 4) and a birdie on the 2nd hole (par 3), rising to a tie for first place alongside Hwang Jeong-mi and Kim Su-ji. While Hwang Jeong-mi fell behind in the lead race with a bogey on the 3rd hole (par 4), Go Ji-woo surged ahead as the sole leader with a birdie on the 6th hole (par 4). After Kim Su-ji birdied the 8th hole (par 4) to return to a tie for first, a fierce battle continued.

The game shifted again starting from the 13th hole (par 4). Go Ji-woo took the sole lead with a birdie on this hole, but Kim Su-ji succeeded in overtaking by reducing two strokes at once with an eagle on the 14th hole (par 5). The momentum seemed to tilt toward Kim Su-ji as Go Ji-woo collapsed with a double bogey on the 15th hole (par 4).

However, the true protagonist was Hwang Jeong-mi. Despite the fierce battle between the two players, Hwang Jeong-mi steadily held her ground in the middle and recorded a birdie on the 16th hole (par 3), closing the gap to one stroke behind Kim Su-ji. Then, on the final 18th hole (par 5), Hwang Jeong-mi made a dramatic birdie putt of about 2 meters to tie with Kim Su-ji.

In the playoff starting at the 18th hole, Hwang Jeong-mi sealed the long battle with another dramatic putt. She succeeded in a challenging 6-meter putt, enjoying the joy of her first career victory. Although she lost two strokes up to the 8th hole in the front nine and fell to 5th place at one point, her persistent and steady play without giving up eventually became the foundation for a late comeback victory.

More Than Two Years of Waiting, Career-Low Score, and First Victory

Hwang Jeong-mi, who debuted on the KLPGA stage in 2020, had not shown remarkable results until now. Her prize money ranking in her debut year was only 43rd. Last year, she lost her tour card and had to regain it through qualifying, facing some difficulties.

However, this year, after regaining her playing rights, Hwang Jeong-mi showed a completely different side by finishing runner-up twice at the NH Investment & Securities Ladies Championship and the Hoban Seoul Shinmun Women's Classic. She carried this momentum into this tournament and secured her first career victory. This KG·Edaily Ladies Open was Hwang Jeong-mi's 65th appearance on the KLPGA Tour. She received 126 million won in prize money and jumped to 11th place in the prize money rankings with 384.96 million won.

In an interview held immediately after the tournament, Hwang Jeong-mi said, "It still feels like a dream," and added, "I never thought about winning, but it ended up leading to victory, so my heart is full." She said, "I really wanted to play in the champion group, and I was happy to be able to do so," adding, "I was excited and very nervous."

Regarding the difficulties she faced in the early part of the final round, she said, "Making bogeys early on actually helped me play more comfortably in the latter part," and added, "I'm happy to be able to give this victory as a gift to my parents who have waited a lot."

Meanwhile, with Hwang Jeong-mi's victory, the KG·Edaily Ladies Open set a rare record of producing a 'first-time winner' for five consecutive years. It has become a cradle for the birth of new stars. Meanwhile, Lee Ye-won (19) secured 3rd place (12-under-par 204) and firmly maintained her lead in the rookie of the year points.

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