'Surprising 2nd Place' Sung Yujin: "Amazing Experience, Next Time I'll Definitely Win~"

LPGA Tour Lotte Championship Runner-up as an Invited Player

"I think I had a great experience in my golf career."

Sung Yu-jin is watching the ball after taking a shot on the 5th hole of the final 4th round at the Lotte Championship (total prize money $2 million), an LPGA Tour event held at Hoakalei Country Club (Par 72, 6,303 yards) in Ewa Beach, Oahu Island, Hawaii, USA, on the 16th.
[Photo by Daehong Planning]

Seong Yu-jin, who finished as the runner-up at the LPGA Tour Lotte Championship (total prize money $2 million) held as an invited player, spoke of hope rather than regret. After finishing second following a playoff in the final round of the tournament held on the 16th at Hoakalei Country Club (par 72, 6,303 yards) in Ewa Beach, Oahu Island, Hawaii, he said, "It was an incredible experience close to winning, and if I get another chance, I definitely want to win."

In the final round, Seong Yu-jin shot 3-under-par 69 with four birdies and one bogey. He finished with a total score of 12-under-par 276, tied with Grace Kim (Australia) and Liu Wei (China), entering a playoff. However, he missed a birdie on the first playoff hole, the 18th (par 5), while Grace Kim, an Australian-Korean, made a birdie to claim the title. The third shot near the green, which went far past the hole and landed in the rough on the opposite side, was a regrettable moment.

He shared his thoughts, saying, "I did my best, but I knew I couldn't win without making birdies, so I played as aggressively as possible. It was truly an honor to reach the playoff."

Seong Yu-jin earned an invitation to this tournament after winning his first career title in four years since his debut at the KLPGA Tour Lotte Open last June. He expressed gratitude, saying, "I am really thankful to have the opportunity to play in an LPGA Tour event like this. Although I finished second with some regret, if I am invited again, I will work hard." He added, "I played like a top-ranked player and learned a lot, in terms of both my swing and mindset."

The winner of this tournament, Grace Kim, is a rookie who joined the LPGA Tour this year after finishing fifth in the money rankings on the Symetra Tour last year. She claimed her first LPGA Tour victory in just her third tournament. Following Minjee Lee, last year's US Women's Open champion, she became the 12th Australian player to win on the LPGA Tour. The winner's prize money was $300,000 (approximately 390 million KRW).

Among Korean players, Hwang Yu-min, who also participated as an invited player, finished tied for 9th with a total score of 8-under-par 280. Additionally, Choi Hye-jin finished tied for 13th (6-under-par 282), and defending champion Kim Hyo-joo recorded a total of 1-over-par 289, finishing tied for 49th.

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