"When I was young, I was hospitalized at Chonnam National University Hospital for three weeks due to an illness..." Keeping a heartwarming promise of donation, Jung Jae-hyun achieves his first career victory with emotion! [KPGA]

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

Jung Jae-hyun (21), a rising star on the Korea Professional Golf (KPGA) Tour, secured his first regular tour victory in his career at the season finale of 2026, demonstrating remarkable late-round momentum.

On the 8th, Jung recorded eight birdies without any bogeys in the final fourth round of the KPGA Tour Championship (total prize money of 1.1 billion won), held at the Valley and Teddy courses (par 72) of Teddy Valley Golf & Resort in Seogwipo City, Jeju Island.

Having cut a remarkable eight strokes on the day, Jung finished with a total score of 13 under par, 275 strokes, to claim the top spot, defeating second-place Hwang Jae-min (10 under par, 278 strokes) by three strokes.

The 8-under-par 64 that Jung posted on this day tied the course record, matching the marks set by Brandon Kewalramani (USA) and Kim Hong-taek.

With this victory, Jung captured a winner's prize of 224.8 million won and climbed to seventh place in the Genesis Points standings, additionally receiving a bonus of 18 million won.

This is the first time that Jung, who debuted on the regular tour in 2024, has stood atop the regular tour podium. Having previously won twice on the second-tier tour, Jung narrowly missed out on victory last week at the Lexus Masters, finishing as runner-up after a playoff.

Starting the final round in a tie for second place, one stroke behind the leader, Jung calmly reduced his score from the outset. He took the solo lead by securing four birdies in the first half alone. Following a successful birdie putt on the 10th hole (par 4), he also made a birdie putt on the 12th hole (par 4). Ultimately, after catching a birdie on the 15th hole (par 5), he succeeded in making a birdie on the final 18th hole (par 4) to claim the championship.

According to the KPGA, Jung expressed his feelings after the victory, saying, "It still feels unreal that I won such a major tournament. I was very nervous at the start, but I tried hard not to show it." He added, "I had resolved with my caddie brother to focus only on our play, and it seems that led to this good result."

Recalling his childhood when he started playing golf in the Philippines, he said, "During a tournament last year, which was my debut season, I fell down a staircase and suffered an injury where the ligament in my right ankle was stretched, leading to the loss of my tour card and other difficult times." He reflected, "However, last week's playoff defeat actually served as a great source of confidence, becoming the foundation for this victory."

In particular, Jung added warmth by expressing his intention to donate 10% of his winner's prize money to a meaningful cause. He smiled and said, "When I was young and sick, I was hospitalized at Chonnam National University Hospital for three weeks, and I had vowed that if I won my first tournament, I would definitely donate 10% of the prize money there." He added, "I am happy to have kept my promise."

Jung, who capped off this season finale with a victory, is scheduled to continue his momentum by participating in the Asian Tour Philippines Open, which will be held next week at the Manila Southwoods course where he first learned golf.

Meanwhile, Shin Sang-hoon, who finished tied for 24th place with a total score of 1 over par, 289 strokes, in this tournament, enjoyed the joy of being confirmed as the recipient of his first career "Genesis Player of the Year" award.

Award winner Shin Sang-hoon was given a bonus prize of 200 million won, one Genesis passenger car, and KPGA Tour playing privileges through 2031 as prizes.

Furthermore, he secured qualification for the final round of the Professional Golfers' Association (PGA) Tour Qualifying School (Q-School), which opens on December 10, allowing him to take on the challenge of a bigger stage.

In addition, Kim Min-gyu and Jeong Han-mil were tied for third place at the top of the final leaderboard, both recording a total score of 9 under par, 279 strokes.

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.View Original