"I came here to bring about a generational shift." The 18-year-old billiards prodigy who shook up the "old guard" arena has already earned 500 million won in prize money; Kim Young-won's gaze is now set on 1 billion won. [Jeongseon Field Report]

*This content was translated by AI.

"I came to the PBA to bring about a generational shift."

An 18-year-old boy boldly issued a challenge to the billiards world, a so-called "old guard arena" where players in their 50s and 60s still dominate. This was not unfounded confidence. He has now become a figure that everyone fears.

Kim Young-won (Harim) defeated Ngo Dinh Nai (Vietnam·Hyunon) with a set score of 4-2 (15-8, 15-9, 11-15, 15-3, 12-15, 15-4) in the PBA final of the "People's Happiness Retreat High1 Resort PBA-LPBA Championship," the second tour of the 2026-2027 professional billiards season, held on the 11th at the Grand Hotel Convention Tower of High1 Resort in Jeongseon County, Gangwon Province, securing the championship trophy.

At 18 years, 7 months, and 26 days old, he is still a teenager who has not yet reached adulthood, but he has already achieved four career victories, tying with Kang Dong-gung (Hyunon) for third place in the PBA's all-time win list.

With a winning prize of 1 billion won, his cumulative earnings reached 584.2 million won, making him the sixth player in the men's division to surpass 500 million won in prize money.

Kim Young-won, well-known as a "billiards prodigy" from an early age, progressed through the Challenge Tour (3rd division) and Dream Tour (2nd division) before fully entering the 1st division tour in the 2024-2025 season. He won his first title that season and then secured two victories last season, including the PBA World Championship, the tournament of champions.

He was eliminated in the round of 32 at the season opener, leaving some regret, but he has since defeated strong opponents one after another in this tournament.

His opponent, Ngo, had displayed the best performance of the tournament in the semifinals with an average of 3.000, but Kim Young-won pushed hard from the first and second sets to secure the victory. Although Ngo hit 11 points in three innings in the third set and took the set, Kim Young-won played without any fluctuation, reaching an average of 3.667.

Kim Young-won scored nine points from the first inning of the fourth set and finished in just five innings. He lost the fifth set amid Ngo's strong performance but ended the sixth set in only three innings.

Speaking at the post-match press conference, Kim Young-won said, "I finished in a tie for third place at the High1 Resort Championship in the 2024-2025 season, so I wanted to achieve a better result. I prepared hard, and this victory feels even more valuable."

The final average reached an impressive 2.306. It appears he overcame even the tension of a major stage despite his young age. He added, "Finals are always difficult, but I gained experience by competing in the 2nd and 3rd division tours, so I think I've developed immunity. Having played in my fifth final in the 1st division tour, I feel less nervous than before. I met Ngo twice last season and won both times, but (at that time) he played really well. I thought I could lose if I made even a small mistake this time, so I focused more and played the match."

What is even more frightening is that he is still growing. Kim Young-won said, "I am not yet at a level I can be satisfied with, but I think my average has improved significantly. My ability to manage matches has also improved greatly. I reached the final in my first 1st division tour tournament. I played against Kang Dong-gung (Hyunon) in that final and learned a lot. I realized that being purely aggressive is not everything. Recently, I mix offense and defense while playing the ball."

However, his gaze is still fixed on higher ground. "I don't think my average is high compared to top PBA players yet. Many players average around 1.5 to 1.6. To play better than them, I think I need to record an average of over 1.7. When I see players with a higher average than mine, they score well even in difficult situations. Even when practicing alone, I practice with difficult ball arrangements."

Players in their 50s, such as Daniel Sanchez (52·Welcome Savings Bank) and Eddie Leffens (57·High1 Resort), as well as players in their 60s like Semi Signer (62·Welcome Savings Bank), are displaying top-level skills. Therefore, attention must inevitably focus on the "prodigy" teenager Kim Young-won, who makes experienced players tremble with fear.

Kim Young-won said, "There was a goal of generational shift when I came to the PBA. It seems like many young players are starting to appear in the PBA now. I think the generational shift in billiards will happen faster. I will work hard to become a player who can be a role model for younger players."

Kim Young-won, whose largest expense was several million won spent on home interior decoration, said, "The prize money doesn't feel like much of a change," yet he confidently stated his ambition: "The number one player in the prize money ranking has around 1 billion won, so I will aim for 1 billion won as well."

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*This content was translated by AI.