'13 Years of Waiting Bear Fruit': Lee Sang-hee, After 8 Runner-up Finishes, Finally Wins First Title on Japan Golf Tour

*This content was translated by AI.

Lee Sang-hee (34), a representative of South Korean men's professional golf, has claimed his first title on the Japan Golf Tour (JGTO) after 13 years of waiting.

On the 30th, Lee recorded a 7-under-par 65 in the final round of the 'San-san KBC Augusta' at Geiya Golf Club in Itoshima, Fukuoka Prefecture (par 72, 7,293 yards), with no bogeys and seven birdies.

Finishing with a total score of 23-under-par 265, Lee finished three strokes ahead of second-place Yūsaku Hosono (Japan, 20-under-par 268) to claim the title. The winning prize was 20 million yen (approximately 170 million won).

This victory marks Lee's first win on the Japan Golf Tour since he began competing there in 2013. It is his first title in nearly nine years, following the 2017 36th GS Caltex Maeil Business Newspaper (MK) Open, and his fifth career professional victory.

■ First Win After Eight Runner-up Finishes on Japan Golf Tour (JGTO)... A Period of 13 Years Finally Comes to an End

After finishing first in the 2012 Japan Golf Tour Qualifying Tournament (QT), Lee began competing regularly between South Korea and Japan starting in 2013. While he consistently demonstrated top-level performance, he was unable to secure a win in Japan. He finished as runner-up eight times on the JGTO alone, repeatedly falling just short of the championship.

This tournament holds special significance for Lee. In the same event in 2022, he recorded a total score of 15-under-par 273 and finished as runner-up, one stroke behind Riki Kawamoto. Four years later, returning to Geiya Golf Club, Lee completely erased that past disappointment. After 13 years of challenges and eight runner-up finishes, he finally lifted the first Japan Golf Tour victory trophy, putting an end to his long wait.

■ Final Round: Seven Birdies, No Bogeys... Focus Shines in Crucial Moments

Lee started the final round in solo second place, one stroke behind the leader. He maintained steady play from the front nine, securing three birdies, and heightened his focus during critical moments in the back nine. Notably, he recorded three consecutive birdies from holes 13 through 15 to take the lead.

Lee's play remained flawless until the end. In the final round, he posted a 7-under-par 65 with seven birdies and no bogeys. On the 18th hole, his tee shot veered right, creating a crisis, but he calmly saved par. He secured his first Japan Golf Tour title by finishing three strokes ahead of second-place Yūsaku Hosono.

Lee finished the tournament with rounds of 66-68-66-65, totaling 23-under-par 265. With this victory, he rose to seventh in the JGTO points ranking and eleventh in the prize money ranking. Furthermore, it has been three years since a South Korean player topped a JGTO-sanctioned event not co-sanctioned with the KPGA Tour; the last was Song Young-han's win at the same tournament in 2023.

■ First Win in Nearly Nine Years Since 2017... Fifth Career Victory

Since turning professional, Lee has established himself as one of South Korea's leading male golfers based on his consistent performance. He first gained recognition by setting the record for the youngest KPGA Tour winner at the time with a victory at the 2011 NH Nonghyup Open at just 19 years, six months, and 10 days old. The following year, in 2012, he won the 55th KPGA Championship to achieve his second career title and was awarded the KPGA Grand Prize, solidifying his status as a top domestic player.

He then secured victories at the 2016 SK Telecom Open and the 2017 36th GS Caltex Maeil Business Newspaper (MK) Open, bringing his total KPGA Tour wins to four. With this first Japan Golf Tour victory, Lee lifted the trophy for the first time in nearly nine years since the 2017 GS Caltex Maeil Business Newspaper (MK) Open, increasing his career professional win count to five. This victory is especially significant as it not only confirms his top-level competitiveness on the domestic stage but also marks his long-awaited triumph on the Japan Golf Tour after years of pursuit.

■ Lee Sang-hee: "First Win in 13 Years... Focused on What I Can Do, Not Just Results"

After winning, Lee said, "I am truly happy to win for the first time since debuting on the Japan Golf Tour in 2013. I have repeatedly experienced disappointment at the door of victory, including eight runner-up finishes on the JGTO, so it feels wonderful that my efforts have finally borne fruit." He added, "This is my first win in nearly nine years since the 2017 36th GS Caltex Maeil Business Newspaper (MK) Open. While competing for titles multiple times in both South Korea and Japan, I often let thoughts about results overshadow me, leading to regret. For this tournament, I focused only on what I could do myself rather than worrying about the outcome, and that mindset seems to have led to a good result."

This victory also carries special meaning for his late father. Lee shared, "After my father passed away in 2023, I promised to show him the championship trophy. That promise sometimes created an obsession with winning, but this time I let go of thoughts about results and focused on what needed to be done. It is even more meaningful that I can now hold the victory trophy and visit my father."

He continued, "With this win, my goal is to win again in South Korea as well. I want to maintain this positive momentum and create new victories. I will do my best to achieve good results at the upcoming 42nd Shinhan Donghae Open."

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*This content was translated by AI.