Park Hyun-kyung's 'Final 18th Hole Comeback Show'... 'I am the Match Queen'

Lee Yewon Edges Out by 1 Hole in Doosan Match Play Final
Dramatic Comeback with Consecutive Wins on 17th and 18th Holes
Cheers for 5th Career Victory on KLPGA Tour After 7 Months

Park Hyun-kyung was crowned the ‘Match Queen.’

Park Hyun-kyung is teeing off at the 2nd hole in the Doosan Match Play final.

On the 19th, at the Radena Golf Club Nature & Garden Course (par 72, 6,384 yards) in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, Park defeated Lee Ye-won by one hole with a dramatic birdie on the final 18th hole (par 5) in the final of the Doosan Match Play (total prize money 900 million KRW) of the Korea Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) Tour. This marked her fifth career victory, seven months after her last win at the SK Networks·Seoul Economic Ladies Classic in October last year, with a winner’s prize of 225 million KRW. She also wiped away the disappointment of finishing runner-up in this tournament last year.

Park Hyun-kyung won all seven matches over five days from the group stage to the final in this tournament. Her overall match play record now stands at 18 wins, 1 draw, and 3 losses (winning percentage 81.8%), establishing her as the ‘new match play powerhouse.’ She currently ranks first in this year’s prize money ranking (485,231,799 KRW) and in the points for the Player of the Year award (204 points).

In the semifinal held that morning, Park secured her spot in the final by defeating Lee So-young by two holes. She then faced Lee Ye-won, who had beaten Yoon Ina in the other semifinal. Park was trailing by one hole until the 16th hole (par 3), with defeat seeming likely. However, she leveled the match with a birdie on the 17th hole (par 4) and sealed a thrilling comeback victory with another birdie on the 18th hole.

Lee Ye-won, who was aiming for her second consecutive win following last week’s NH Investment & Securities Ladies Championship, was stopped by Park Hyun-kyung. This was her second runner-up finish in this tournament, following 2022. In the third-place playoff, Lee So-young crushed Yoon Ina by five holes. Yoon Ina has been on the rise recently, finishing runner-up and fourth in her last two tournaments.