“Genesis Award Four-Way Race, and Park Sang-hyun’s Breakthrough of 6 Billion Won”: Who Will Be the King of Jeju to Close Out 2026? [KPGA]

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

The final showdown that will cap off the 2026 Korea Professional Golf (KPGA) Tour season will unfold in Jeju.

The “KPGA Tour Championship in Jeju” (total prize pool of 1.1 billion won, winner’s share of 220 million won), which is the 19th and final event of the season, will open from November 5 to 8 at the Valley and Teddy courses (par 72, 7,332 yards) of Teddy Valley Golf & Resort in Seogwipo City, Jeju.

Held over four rounds of 72-hole stroke play without a cut, the event is restricted to an elite field of players ranked within the top 70 in Genesis points as of the conclusion of the previous tournament, the “2026 Lexus Masters,” rather than based on seed priority. A total of 61 players have entered the competition. The winner of the final event will receive 1,000 Genesis points along with a two-year KPGA Tour card (2027–2028).

The biggest point of interest is undoubtedly the outcome of the prestigious “Genesis Award” for the 2026 season. With Genesis points of 1,000, 600, 520, 450, and 390 awarded to the top five finishers respectively in the final event, the contenders for the award have narrowed down to just four players: leader Shin Sang-hoon (28, PXG) through fourth-place Song Min-hyuk (22, Dong-A Pharmaceutical). The player who lifts the trophy in the final event is highly likely to also claim the honor of the Genesis Award.

Attention is also drawn to whether “defending champion” Park Sang-hyun (43, Dong-A Pharmaceutical) will achieve an unprecedented record. In the previous event, the Lexus Masters, Park finished tied for 27th with a total score of one under par, 283 strokes, narrowly securing his spot in the final event by ranking 67th in Genesis points.

Challenging for his 17th career victory while defending his title, Park Sang-hyun said, “I was disappointed with my performance this season and might not have been able to participate, but I am happy to have made it into the top 70 dramatically and secured a spot.” He added, “The course suits me well, and although strong winds are expected, I am a player who handles wind well, so I have high expectations. My condition is also improving, so I will finish the final event well,” reaffirming his determination to achieve back-to-back titles.

At the same time, Park Sang-hyun is on the verge of breaking through the historic milestone of “6 billion won in total domestic career earnings.” Having already become the first player in KPGA Tour history to surpass 5 billion won with his victory at the 2023 Genesis Championship, he has currently earned a total of 5.975263713 billion won across 248 tournaments. With only 24.736287 million won remaining to reach the 6 billion won mark, he will write another chapter in history if he finishes tied for ninth or higher (based on a tie of two players or fewer) in this event.

Bae Yong-jun (26, CJ), who achieved his third career victory at the previous Lexus Masters after a second-round playoff against Jang Yu-bin (24, Shinhan Financial Group) and Jung Jae-hyun 2575 (21), is now aiming for back-to-back tournament wins. Bae Yong-jun, who stood atop the “KPGA Classic” held in Jeju last year, will simultaneously earn the valuable titles of consecutive tournament victories and “Jeju Island two-year consecutive champion” if he dominates this event as well.

Meanwhile, the KPGA Tour final event will be held in Jeju for the third consecutive year. Teddy Valley Golf & Resort, which hosted its first KPGA Tour event last year, is set to host the Tour Championship through 2029. The tournament organizers plan to encourage a thrilling contest by offering players who record a course record (including the winner) free rounds and accommodation at Teddy Valley Golf & Resort for one year.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original