Seong Yu-jin (23, Hanwha Q Cells), who won her first match play championship and her second personal career, is given the modifier ‘late blooming flower’.
Seong Yu-jin confirmed the victory after 15 holes in the final against Park Hyun-kyung of the’KLPGA Tour 2023 Doosan Match Play Championship’ held at Ladena CC located in Chuncheon, Gangwon-do on the 21st, winning her championship prize money of 225 million won.
It was not easy for Sung Yu-jin to come to this position. After turning pro in 2018, he jumped into the first part tour in earnest from 2019, but the results were not good.
All in all, her debut motives flew wild from her first year as a rookie. 2019 Rookie of the Year Jo A-yeon (2 wins), Lim Hee-jung (3 wins), and Park Hyun-kyung are still the strong players who dominate the first part tour, and Lee So-mi, Lee Seung-yeon, and Lee Ga-young are also one step ahead of Seong Yu-jin.
However, Seong Yu-jin silently walked her way. Following her first win at the Lotte Open last year, she wrote an epic story that coincidentally defeated Cho Ah-yeon, Lim Hee-jung, and Park Hyun-kyung in this match play.
Seong Yu-jin said in an interview after winning the championship, “I have never been ahead of them. Ever since I was young, they have been players of a different level than me.”안전놀이터
He also became the player who played the smallest hole in match play history and won the championship. It means that the power that overwhelms the opponent was great.
Match play, which started in 2008, maintained the round of 64 tournament format, but changed to the current group stage format in 2017.
In order to become the winner, a forced march of 7 matches in 5 days is required. If the game is a close match and all 18 holes are covered, 126 holes will be played, and if an overtime game is played, a greater consumption of physical strength is unavoidable.
Among the champions since 2017, Park In-bi (111 holes) won the championship by playing the fewest holes. On the other hand, the champion who played the most holes was Hong Jeong-min (125 holes) last year. However, Seong Yu-jin cut Inbee Park’s record by two holes and kissed the trophy after playing 109 holes.
After finishing runner-up at the LPGA Tour Lotte Championship held last month, Seong Yu-jin, whose mentality has become stronger, has now grown into a player that no one can easily see on the first tour.
He can’t help but wonder about his goal. Seong Yu-jin said, “First of all, my biggest goal is to defend my title at the Lotte Open, which will be held in two weeks, and win the Hanwha Classic hosted by the main sponsor, Hanwha.”