The ‘domestic outing’ after 3 years and 7 months was close to perfection. After putting on a splendid eagle show in front of a gallery of over 10,000 spectators, the last hole finished with a dramatic come-from-behind drama followed by a wonderful bunker shot. Lim Seong-jae (25, Woori Financial Group), who represents Korean men’s golf, reached the top again in the Korea Professional Golf (KPGA) Korean Tour.
In the final 4th round of the Woori Finance Championship held at Ferrum Golf Course in Yeoju-si, Gyeonggi-do on the 14th, Lim Seong-jae reduced 4 strokes with 1 eagle, 4 birdies and 2 bogeys, and won the come-from-behind championship with a total of 10 under par 278 strokes. He was 5 strokes behind leader Choi Jin-ho (39) until the 3rd round, but he reduced 5 strokes with 1 eagle and 3 birdies in the final match in the second half of the final day, becoming the main character of the championship prize money of 300 million won. With this, Im Seong-jae won his second Korean Tour in 3 years and 7 months after the Genesis Championship in October 2019. It was even more meaningful to step on the top in a competition hosted by his own sponsor.
It would not be an exaggeration to say that this tournament started with Im Seong-jae and ended with Im Seong-jae. Lim Seong-jae, who is active on the American Professional Golf (PGA) tour, tried to participate in this tournament last year, but was diagnosed with Corona 19 ahead of the opening of the tournament and was unable to achieve his goal. Then, after 3 years and 7 months of this year, when the corona subsided, he competed in a domestic competition and won again.
About 20,000 galleries flocked to the Ferrum Golf Course for four days to see Im Seong-jae, world number 18, who won two victories on the PGA Tour. On the last day, 11,213 people came to watch him play.
Lim Seong-jae, who returned to the domestic stage after 3 years and 7 months, reached the top at the Woori Financial Championship, which ended on the 14th. It is the second win on the KPGA Korean Tour since winning the Genesis Championship in October 2019. Over 20,000 galleries visited the stadium to watch Lim Seong-jae play during the four-day event. [Picture KPGA]
A close game that made the hands sweat until the end of the game continued. Choi Jin-ho, who was leading alone with an 11-under par, was shaken by committing a triple bogey called ‘onion’ at the 3rd hole (par 3) at a distance of 234 yards. His tee shot was short and he lost 3 strokes at once due to a series of mistakes in his approach. He also recorded a bogey on hole 4 (par 4), giving Lee Jun-seok the sole lead at 8 under par. Afterwards, Lee Jun-seok kept the first place with a safe par march.
However, the flow of the game began to change in the second half. Im Seong-jae, who was sluggish with a 1-over par in the first half, came back to life. After reducing one stroke on the par 4 11th hole, he caught an eagle like heaven on the 12th hole (par 5, 598 yards). Hole 12 is the longest hole in the tournament. Lim Seong-jae blew 292 yards with an exciting drive shot. After hitting the green with 3-wood in a situation where 288 yards were left, he succeeded in an eagle putt from a distance of about 3.2m, reducing 2 strokes. He then caught a birdie in the 13th hole (par 4) and rose to the joint lead with Lee Jun-seok at 9 under par.카지노사이트
From this point on, the match was a face-to-face confrontation between Lim Seong-jae and Lee Jun-seok. The match was split on the last 18th hole (par 5). Lim Seong-jae took a birdie chance by hitting the ball 1.6m away from the hole with a nice bunker shot. Then, Lee Jun-seok, who had previously succeeded in two-on, also put the ball right in front of Lim Seong-jae’s mark. Lim Seong-jae, who grabbed the putter first, calmly caught a birdie. However, Lee Jun-seok missed a birdie putt from a distance of 1.2m, and the game was decided.
Im Seong-jae said, “The game didn’t work out well in the first half. He looked at the leader board ahead of the second half, and the difference between the lead and the number of strokes was not large. From this point on, I started to gain strength again,” he said. “A lot of galleries came throughout this competition. You cheered me on until the end, giving me strength. It was unfortunate that I couldn’t compete last year due to Corona 19, but this win made me feel better.” He also said, “I plan to leave the country tomorrow and participate in the PGA Championship, which opens on the 18th. I will be very tired, but I will do my best.”
Meanwhile, at the Korea Women’s Professional Golf (KLPGA) Tour NH Investment & Securities Ladies Championship, which ended at a golf course in Suwon, Lim Jin-hee (25) came from behind to win with a total of 15 under par and 201 strokes. 3rd overall win. She caught a wedge birdie on the last hole 18 (par 4) and beat Park Ji-young (27) of 14 under par. Rookie Bang Sin-sil (19), who was aiming for the championship, made a series of shot mistakes at the last minute and finished the tournament tied for 3rd place with a total of 13 under par.