▲ Jang Yu-bin smiles brightly.
Jang Yu-bin, who became the first Korean player to join LIV Golf last year before returning to the domestic stage this season, has lifted a trophy on the Korea Professional Golfers' Association (KPGA) Tour for the first time in 1 year and 8 months, marking his first win since his return.
In the final round of the KPGA Classic with I'm Vita, held at Cypress Golf & Resort in Seogwipo, Jeju, Jang recorded one eagle, four birdies, and three bogeys to earn 10 points.
The KPGA Classic is a tournament played under the Modified Stableford format, where rankings are determined by the sum of points awarded based on the score at each hole: par is 0 points, a birdie is 2 points, an eagle is 5 points, an albatross is 8 points, a bogey is -1 point, and a double bogey or worse is -3 points.
With a final total of 49 points, Jang finished 4 points ahead of runner-up Park Eun-shin (45 points) to claim the title and the winner's prize of 140 million won.
This victory holds significant meaning for Jang.
After winning the KPGA Tour Grand Prize and the money title in 2024, Jang became the first Korean player to join LIV Golf last year. However, after facing the high barrier of the league, he made a "U-turn" back to the domestic stage this year.
Competing in his 8th tournament of the season, the KPGA Classic, Jang took the lead from the second round and maintained it until the final day. This marks his first victory in 1 year and 8 months since the 2024 Baeksong Holdings-Asiad CC Busan Open, and the 4th win of his career.
(Photo: Courtesy of KPGA, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.