Two Korean golfers, Kim Hyung-sung and Ahn Sun-ju, sent home good news from Japan, Sunday.
Kim, 32, closed the fourth round of the Vana H Cup KBC Augusta with a 3-under 69 at Keya Golf Club on Sunday to clench his first Japan Tour title at 18-under 270.
He was one shot better than second-place Akio Sadakata, who bogeyed 15 to fall out of a share of the lead with Kim.
It was his first triumph on the Japan Golf Tour since his debut in 2009. He took home 22 million yen (317 million won) in prize money.
Korea’s Kim Hyung-sung poses with his trophies in Fukuoka, Japan, Sunday. (Yonhap News)
Kim’s first win on the Japan golf tour came after twice being a runner-up this season. He finished second at the Nagashima Shigeo Invitational Sega Sammy Cup in July and the Kansai Open Golf Championship last week.
It was also a Korean or Korean-born golfer’s fourth win of 12 events on the Japan tour this season. Jang Ik-je won the Crowns 2012 in April, Jay Choi of the U.S. the Totoumi Hamamatsu Open in May and Lee Kyoung-hoon the Nagashima Shigeo Invitational Sega Sammy Cup in July.
At Katsura Golf Club, Hokkaido, on the same day, Ahn Sun-ju, 25, clinched the Nitori Ladies title. She finished the Japan LPGA tour event at 14-under 202, beating her compatriot Jeon Mi-jeong and sealing her second victory of the season.
Ahn took the sole lead on Saturday by finishing the third round with a bogey-free nine birdies and held on to her lead with five birdies against one bogey on Sunday.
Her second win of the season came three months after taking the World Ladies Championship Salonpas Cup, one of the four major JLPGA events, in May. The Nitori Ladies title was her 10th career win on the Japan tour. She took 18 million yen in prize money, increasing her purse to 798 million yen and narrowing her gap with Jeon, who is No. 1 on the money list, to about 20 million.
Korean golfers have won 11 of 23 events so far on the Japan LPGA Tour, including the Nitori Ladies.
koreaherald@heraldcorp.com
