Unlucky Minyoung Eun with Choi Jong-il's Slump... Tied 4th in JLPGA Final Tournament

Miyu Yamashita Wins in Playoff... 5 Victories + Youngest Money Leader
Shin Ji-ae Ties for 14th, Jeon Mi-jung Ties for 20th
Season JLPGA Korean Players' Wins Limited to Min-young Lee's Single Victory

Minyoung Lee

Lee Min-young (30) missed the chance for her second victory on the Japan Ladies Professional Golf Association (JLPGA) Tour due to a poor performance on the final day. Korean players finished the season with only one JLPGA win.

On the 27th, Lee Min-young shot a 2-over-par 74 in the final round of the JLPGA Tour season finale, the Tour Championship Ricoh Cup (total prize money 120 million yen), held at Miyazaki Country Club (par 72) in Miyazaki, Miyazaki Prefecture, Japan. She finished tied for 4th with a total score of 11-under-par 277.

After leading by three strokes alone on the second day and entering the final round as a co-leader, Lee lost two strokes on the last day and fell behind in the race for the top spot. Having won the Meiji Cup in Hokkaido in August, she aimed for her second win of the season in this tournament but lacked the finishing strength. As a result, Korean players' wins on the JLPGA Tour this season were limited to just one.

The victory on this day went to Miyu Yamashita (Japan) after a playoff. Yamashita, who entered the final round tied for the lead with Lee Min-young, recorded a 2-under-par 70. She tied at 15-under-par 273 with Minami Katsu (Japan), who shot 7-under-par on the day, leading to a playoff.

Yamashita secured the win by sinking a 5-meter birdie putt on the first playoff hole, the 18th hole (par 4).

With this win, Yamashita earned her fifth victory of the season and increased her total season earnings to 235.2 million yen, including the 30 million yen winner's prize. At 21 years old this year, Yamashita set the record as the youngest money leader in JLPGA history.

Erika Kikuchi (Japan), who improved by one stroke, finished third with 13-under-par 275. Ayaka Watanabe, Yuna Nishimura, and Yuuri Yoshida (all from Japan) tied with Lee Min-young for fourth place.

Shin Ji-ae (34) improved by two strokes to finish tied for 14th at 6-under-par 282, and Jeon Mi-jung (40) finished tied for 20th at 4-under-par 282.