From "Billiard Hall Part-Timer" to a Beautiful College Student: First Victory After 1,497 Days... Jung Soobin's Stormy Growth After Shedding Doubts of "Can I Do This?" [Goyang On-Site]

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Although she started late, she has drawn a growth curve steeper than anyone else's. Jung Soobin (27, NH Nonghyup Card) experienced the thrill of her first victory 1,497 days after her professional debut.

Jung Soobin claimed the title by defeating Lee Mi-rae (30, High1 Resort) with a set score of 4-2 (11-1, 11-10, 10-11, 11-7, 8-11, 11-5) in the LPBA final of the "Crown Hite PBA-LPBA Championship," the 4th tour of the Pro Billiards 2026-27 season, held at the "Goyang KINTEX PBA Stadium" in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, on the 11th.

Jung Soobin, who entered the pro billiards stage in the 2022-2023 season, secured her first victory in 4 years, 1 month, and 6 days—1,497 days—at her 37th tournament, also taking home a prize money of 40 million won. With just one win, she instantly overtook the 35.5 million won in prize money she had accumulated up to that point.

Jung Soobin, who was living an ordinary college life while studying Statistics at Sookmyung Women's University, had her fate changed when she visited a billiard hall as a substitute for a friend's part-time job. She became captivated by the charm of billiards and began holding a cue seriously in 2021. Although she started late, Jung Soobin discovered exceptional talent and stepped onto the pro billiards stage within a year.

She quickly adapted to life as a billiard player, putting off her university graduation. After reaching the round of 16 in her debut season, Jung Soobin advanced to the semifinals in the 2024-2025 season and reached the final for the first time at the "Welcome Savings Bank LPBA Championship" last February. She was not properly prepared for the unfamiliar night match, leaving her condition at its lowest, and had to settle for a runner-up finish after a close full-set battle.

Jung Soobin, who took the stage as the runner-up at the ceremony at the time, declared she would say a word without even using a microphone, vowing, "I will definitely win next time."

Although Jung Soobin failed to reach the round of 16 in all three tournaments this season, she had been on a steady upward trend by raising her average to 1.029. She pulled off an upset at this tournament. In the quarterfinals, she completely defeated Park Jeong-hyun (Haram), the winner of the previous tournament, 3-0, and in the semifinals, she won another full-set blood battle against another young star, Han Ji-eun (S&Y), to advance to the final stage where she faced five-time champion Lee Mi-rae.

After quickly taking the first set, Jung Soobin also secured the second set after a close contest. After narrowly losing the third set, Jung Soobin came from behind in the fourth set to take another victory. The fifth set went to Lee Mi-rae, but in the sixth set, Jung Soobin ultimately succeeded in making the championship point to clinch the title.

At the post-match press conference, Jung Soobin said, "I was lucky to make it to the round of 16, but I did not show good performance," adding, "It feels even better that I could win after defeating Park Jeong-hyun and Han Ji-eun, who have my favorite playing styles in the LPBA."

Jung Soobin stated, "I have always looked toward winning. When I first started, I was completely ignorant and felt overwhelmed. I thought, 'Can I pull this off?' and 'When will I be able to climb to a high place?' but I worked harder while looking forward to moments like this."

Even in the moment she had waited for so earnestly, she maintained a bright smile instead of tears. Introducing herself as Thinking type (T) rather than Feeling type (F) in MBTI, Jung Soobin said, "The first thought that came to mind was 'I won,'" while adding, "The first thing I thought of was my dog who passed away. I couldn't be there for its final moments because I was training. I considered mentioning it but didn't, fearing I would cry. Then my parents came to mind, and I thought of the people who came to cheer for me."

She is a young star attracting attention in the billiards world, to the point where she herself can feel her growth trend. Jung Soobin, who received the Young Star Award last season, said, "My condition has been very good recently. I entered this tournament with expectations, but since I showed poor form until the round of 16, I thought, 'So this is how it falls apart,' but it was a relief that the result turned out well."

The failure in the previous final became great nourishment. Jung Soobin said, "It really helped a lot. It is rare to play at such a late hour, and I failed to adjust my condition back then. That was very disappointing," explaining, "This time, after advancing to the final, I changed my sleep pattern and slept for about 7 hours."

The presence of young talents like Park Jeong-hyun and Han Ji-eun, who are competitors in good faith, serves as a positive stimulant for Jung Soobin. "They not only hit the ball well but also have stability, so there is a lot to learn from them. They also serve as motivation," she emphasized, adding, "I started billiards late and still don't know much. I am still trying to fill in the basic parts."

Although she has surpassed her limits, winning remains an extremely difficult task. "Actually, winning seems too hard. Having experienced it this time, you need a lot of luck, or if not that, your skill must be overwhelmingly superior," she said, expressing her wish, "I can't guarantee it, but I want to try one more time this season."

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original