'Recommended Player' Lee Jaekyung "I am the Match King"

Descente Korea Match Play Final: Bae Yong-jun Defeats Opponent
Korean Tour 3rd Win... Prize Money 160 Million Won

‘Recommended player’ Lee Jae-kyung has been crowned the ‘Match King’.

Lee Jae-kyung defeated Bae Yong-jun by 7 holes in the final of the 13th Descente Korea Match Play (total prize money 800 million KRW) of the Korean Professional Golf Association (KPGA) Korean Tour, held on the afternoon of the 4th at Kingsdale Golf Club in Chungju, Chungbuk (par 72, 7,323 yards). He surged to the top with 7 consecutive wins, including 3 straight wins in the group stage, a victory over Ko Gun-taek in the round of 16, Kwon Sung-yeol in the quarterfinals, and Kang Kyung-nam in the semifinals. This is his third career win, 1 year and 8 months after winning the Genesis Championship in October 2021, with a winner’s prize of 160 million KRW.

'Recommended Player' Lee Jaekyung "I am the Match King"

Lee Jae-kyung is teeing off at the 2nd hole in the final match of the Descente Korea Match Play.
[Photo by KPGA]

Lee Jae-kyung took the first and second holes, lost the third hole (par 3), but won with birdies on the 4th hole (par 4) and the 8th and 9th holes, gaining a 4-hole lead in the front nine. He secured the championship early by winning the 10th, 12th, and 13th holes in the back nine. Lee said, "I filled in my weaknesses through training camps," and added, "I’m so happy to win at a tournament sponsored by my clothing sponsor as a recommended player."

Lee Jae-kyung is a 5th-year player who joined the Korean Tour in 2019 after representing the national team. He won his first career title at the Woosung Construction Aramir CC Busan Gyeongnam Open in September 2019 and received the Rookie of the Year Award. In 2020, he won the Deokchun Award for the lowest scoring average. Last year, he struggled with approach shot ‘yips,’ making it to the final round only 7 times out of 15 tournaments. This year, before this tournament, he showed an upward trend by finishing in the ‘Top 10’ in 4 consecutive tournaments, ultimately adding another winner’s trophy to his record.