15-year-old Lee Hyosong 'Youngest Winner in JLPGA Tour History'

Major World Ladies Salonpas Cup Comeback
Amateur Champion for the First Time in 12 Years After Kim Hyoju
Lee Yewon 3rd, Shin Jiae 4th, Bae Seonwoo 6th

15-year-old amateur Lee Hyosong made new history on the Japan Ladies Professional Golf Association (JLPGA) Tour.

Lee Hyo-sung

On the 5th, at the JLPGA Tour major tournament World Ladies Salonpas Cup (total prize money 120 million yen) held at Ibaraki Golf Club East Course (par 72) in Tsukubamirai City, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan, Lee shot 5 under par in the 4th round to complete a 1-stroke victory (8 under par 280). Born on November 11, 2008, at the age of 15 years and 176 days, Lee Hyosong set a new record as the youngest winner in JLPGA Tour history. The previous record was held by Minami Katsu (Japan) at 15 years and 293 days in 2014.

This is the second time a Korean amateur player has won on the JLPGA Tour since Kim Hyoju in 2012. It is also only the 8th time an amateur has won on the JLPGA Tour. The last time a Korean player won a JLPGA Tour major was 4 years and 5 months ago, when Bae Seonwoo won the 2019 December Ricoh Cup Tour Championship. It is also the first JLPGA Tour win by a Korean player this season.

Starting from a tie for 10th place, 7 strokes behind, Lee recorded 1 eagle, 5 birdies, and 2 bogeys. After scoring 2 birdies without any bogeys in the front nine, she exchanged 2 birdies and 2 bogeys between holes 12 and 16. Then, she made a birdie on the 17th hole (par 3) and sank an eagle putt on the final 18th hole (par 5) to secure the winning score. Overcoming a 7-stroke deficit in the final round to win is the largest comeback in a JLPGA Tour major tournament.

Shuri Sakuma (Japan) finished in 2nd place (7 under par 281). Lee Yewon, the domestic money leader who was leading the previous day, lost 4 strokes with 3 birdies and 7 bogeys, finishing 3rd (6 under par 282). Miyu Yamashita (Japan), the Japanese money leader, and Shin Ji-ae tied for 4th place (5 under par 283), and Bae Seonwoo finished 6th (4 under par 284) to conclude the tournament.