*This content was translated by AI.
Park Jeong-hyun (22, Harim), known as "Kim Ga-young's Kids," fulfilled her dream of winning in front of her mentor Kim Ga-young. She is now determined to take steps toward becoming the queen.
On the 2nd, Park Jeong-hyun defeated Kang Yu-jin (34) with a set score of 4-2 (11-9, 4-11, 11-5, 8-11, 11-4, 11-2) in the LPBA final of the Professional Billiards 2026-2027 Season 3rd Tour 'Eco-Friendly Building Materials SW PBA-LPBA Championship' held at Goyang KinTEX PBA Stadium in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, securing the championship.
After joining the LPBA tour for the 2025-2026 season, Park Jeong-hyun far surpassed her previous best result of fifth place (quarterfinals) and claimed her first LPBA debut victory, earning a prize money of 40 million won. Rising to the top just 413 days after her debut, she also climbed from 11th place (4,000 points) to second place (24,000 points) in the season rankings.
She achieved a triple crown. In the quarterfinals, she recorded an average of 1.947 against Baek Min-ju (Crown Haetae), winning the 'Welcome Top Ranking' award given to the player with the highest single-match average and receiving 20 thousand won in prize money. In the round of 16, she secured a perfect win by executing a perfect cue (scoring all points in one inning) in the second set against Im Kyung-jin (Breakers).
She defeated Min Jung-hee 25-14 in the round of 128 and Hayashi Namiko 25-9 in the round of 64. In the round of 32, she advanced to the round of 16 after a tense 2-2 match against Hida Oriie, decided by a tiebreaker. She then defeated Im Kyung-jin (3-1) and Baek Min-ju (3-1) in succession. Park Jeong-hyun went on to face Han Seul-gi, who had previously defeated her mentor Kim Ga-young, and beat her 3-0 in the semifinals to reach the final.
Facing Kang Yu-jin, a player and commentator, Park Jeong-hyun trailed 4-5 in the first set but took the lead with a five-point long shot in the ninth inning and secured victory after a 25-minute intense battle. After losing the second set, she won the third set but then lost the fourth set as well.
In a tense situation, Park Jeong-hyun exerted herself in the fifth set. She ended the match 11-4 within just five innings. In the sixth set, she scored consecutively with a 1-5-1 sequence from the first inning, extending her lead to 7-2. She then added three more points in the fifth inning to reach championship point at 10-2 and converted a side-spin shot into a point, finishing the match 11-2 before roaring in triumph.
Park Jeong-hyun began playing billiards through pocket billiards at age 16 under her mentor Kim Ga-young (Hana Card). She switched to three-cushion billiards from age 17. As a representative of "Kim Ga-young's Kids," who followed in her mentor's footsteps, she quickly rose to prominence on the three-cushion stage. Reaching second place in the amateur domestic rankings, Park Jeong-hyun turned professional in the LPBA through priority registration ahead of the 2025-2026 season. Although she faced difficulties in previous tournaments, this event served as proof that she is one of the strongest contenders capable of challenging Kim Ga-young.
After winning the championship, Park Jeong-hyun said, "I wasn't feeling well before the tournament and didn't think I could perform well, so it feels like 'Is this real?' It doesn't feel real." Shedding tears immediately after her victory, she added, "I cried thinking of those who believed in and supported me until I won. I cried thinking of my teammates who cheered for me and my parents who have taken care of me all these years."
She broke through the barrier of the quarterfinals and secured both the perfect cue and Welcome Top Ranking awards. The tournament was flawless not only in results but also in performance. Her own satisfaction level was 100%. Park Jeong-hyun said, "Instead of thinking about winning, I focused only on scoring, which helped me concentrate better and perform as practiced." She added, "This season, I kept losing in the round of 16. In the round of 16, I told myself 'This isn't just another round of 16' and 'Focus only on the ball.' I thought the same way in the quarterfinals and semifinals. In the final, I realized midway through that it wasn't about the final score but about staying focused while trailing, so I tried to turn things around."
Although this is only her second season since debuting professionally, she endured difficult times. "The more tournaments I played, the more I realized winning isn't easy," said Park Jeong-hyun, who felt the difficulty each time she lost in the quarterfinals. She noted that this championship experience has become a great asset. "Since my career is still short, I believe my experience has grown significantly," she emphasized its significance.
Kim Ga-young, her pocket billiards teacher and a revered figure in three-cushion billiards known as the "Queen," also provided significant support. "Yesterday, both Pro Kim Byung-ho and Teacher Ga-young called me. When I said, 'I'm playing my first best-of-seven series and need advice,' they told me, 'Don't get careless, stay focused, play as you've practiced, trust your shots, and keep going,'" she recounted.
She dreams of surpassing her mentor. For Park Jeong-hyun, who achieved her first championship, Kim Ga-young remains an incredibly high barrier with 19 wins, the most in both men's and women's divisions combined. Nevertheless, Park Jeong-hyun stated, "My long-term goal is to surpass the achievements Teacher Ga-young has accomplished. It might take a very long time," but added, "For now, I feel there's still much to learn, so my goal is to grow by learning."
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*This content was translated by AI.
