Jiyoung Park's 6-Stroke Victory... 'Regretful, First Bogey at 70th Hole'

8th Career Win at Mediheal·Hankook Ilbo Championship
First Ever '72-Hole Bogey-Free Victory' Missed
Jung Yoonji 2nd, Lee Yewon 5th, Yoon Ina 11th

Defending champion Park Ji-young missed out on a ‘72-hole bogey-free victory’.

Park Ji-young is teeing off at the 1st hole of the 4th round of the Mediheal·Hankook Ilbo Championship.
[Photo by KLPGA]

On the 14th, at the Club72 Sky Course in Yeongjongdo, Incheon (par 72, 6,648 yards), Park Ji-young fired a 5-under-par round in the final round of the KLPGA Tour Mediheal·Hankook Ilbo Championship (total prize money 1 billion KRW) to secure a commanding 6-stroke victory (22-under-par 266). This marked her second win at this tournament since 2022, her eighth career victory seven months after the major KB Financial Star Championship last September, with a winner’s prize of 180 million KRW.

Park Ji-young started with a 2-stroke lead and recorded six birdies (one bogey). She shaved two strokes in the front nine with ‘stepping stone birdies’ on holes 5 and 7, then gained momentum in the back nine with a birdie on the 10th hole (par 5) followed by consecutive birdies on the 13th and 14th holes. However, on the 16th hole (par 3), the 70th hole of the tournament, her tee shot landed in the rough, resulting in her first bogey. This moment dashed the chance for the KLPGA Tour’s first-ever ‘72-hole bogey-free victory.’ Although there have been nine ‘no bogey wins’ in tour history, all were in tournaments played over two or three rounds. Park Ji-young added another birdie on the final 18th hole (par 5).

Jung Yoon-ji finished with a 1-under-par round, settling for second place (16-under-par 272). Park Hyun-kyung and Cho Ah-yeon tied for third place (12-under-par 276). Lee Ye-won, Lee Ga-young, and Noh Seung-hee shared fifth place (11-under-par 277), Yoon Ina tied for 11th (10-under-par 278), and Bang Shin-sil tied for 16th (9-under-par 279). Last week’s domestic season opener winner, Hwang Yu-min, finished tied for 22nd (7-under-par 281), and Park Gyeol tied for 24th (6-under-par 282).