Li Ye-won, who joined the "5 billion won club," says she will win more titles... Tops S-OIL Championship to reach career-high 11th victory [KLPGA]

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

Li Ye-won (23, Mediheal) has joined the "5 billion won club," a milestone that will be remembered in the history of the Korea Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) Tour.

In the final fourth round of the KLPGA Tour S-OIL Championship (total prize money 1 billion won) held on the 1st at Elisean Jeju (par 72) in Jeju City, Jeju, Li Ye-won recorded a 1-under-par 71 with two birdies and one bogey.

Li Ye-won, who finished with a total of 12-under-par 276, claimed victory by defeating second-place Moon Jung-min (9-under-par 279) by three strokes. She reached the top spot. The winner's prize is 180 million won.

Li Ye-won, who had experienced ups and downs since the Deukshin EPC Championship held in April, gained momentum toward the end of the season and was able to extend her winning streak that began in 2023 for a fourth consecutive year.

Lifting her 11th career victory trophy, Li Ye-won added 180 million won in prize money, bringing her cumulative earnings to 5 billion 489 million 9,769 won. She became the seventh player in KLPGA Tour history to surpass 5 billion won in career earnings, following Park Min-ji, Jang Ha-na, Park Ji-young, Lee Da-yeon, Park Hyeon-gyeong, and Kim Su-ji.

Li Ye-won started the final round in second place, one stroke behind leader Lee Ji-hyun 3, and continued her upward trend based on stable play management that day.

After securing her first birdie on the No. 2 hole (par 4), Li Ye-won held par before reducing her score by another stroke on the No. 8 hole (par 4).

Finishing the front nine in a solo lead, Li Ye-won displayed even smarter play management in the back nine. Although she made a bogey on the No. 12 hole (par 3), her competitors were equally unsettled. While competing players lost strokes, Li Ye-won held par after the No. 12 hole, and the gap naturally widened, allowing her to lift the victory trophy.

According to KLPGT, after the round, Li Ye-won expressed her feelings, saying, "I am truly happy to have achieved my 11th career win in autumn rather than spring. I felt that my recent performance was gradually getting closer to winning, and I am even happier to have claimed victory here on Jeju Island."

There were ups and downs after her April victory, and even with a recent good flow, she had always bowed her head at the threshold of victory. Li Ye-won said, "I continued a good flow in previous tournaments as well but did not win, so there was some regret," while adding, "However, rather than worrying about 'why I can't win,' I focused on the fact that I am maintaining a much better flow than in the second half of last year and the year before. My condition and feel for my shots were good, so it helped to calm my mind by thinking not to be impatient and that an opportunity would come for me as well."

Achieving multiple wins toward the end of the season, her desire for titles also grew. Li Ye-won said, "I have not completely let go of my desire for individual titles. At the beginning of the season, I had the goal of winning at least one individual title this year as well, but from the middle of the season, the games did not unfold as intended, and a large gap opened up with other players." She continued, "So, I slightly lowered my desire for individual titles and set the goal of adding more wins in the second half."

She has accumulated 5 billion won in prize money alone. Li Ye-won said, "In fact, I did not enter tournaments with the thought of surpassing 5 billion won in career earnings, so I was not particularly conscious of it," and added, "It feels like I have not been on the tour for that long, yet my career earnings have already surpassed 5 billion won, which makes me feel proud. I will strive to record more wins from now on," without hiding her ambition.

Meanwhile, Kim Min-sol (Doosan Construction WE'VE), who finished the tournament in a tie for 12th place with 3-under-par 285, set a historic first by surpassing 1.6 billion won in prize money in a single season, reaching 1 billion 601 million 9,428 won this season.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original