Descente Korea Match Play Extended Victory
Shinseong Middle School Alumni Cho Wooyoung Secures Birdie in Second Overtime
Second Career Win in Two Years Since 2022 Korea Open
Kim Min-gyu has been crowned the 'Match King.'
On the 2nd, at Kingsdale Country Club (Par 72, 7,334 yards) in Chungju, Chungbuk, Kim defeated Jo Woo-young, the Hangzhou Asian Games gold medalist, in the final of the KPGA Tour Descente Korea Match Play (total prize money 800 million KRW) after the second sudden-death playoff hole. This marks his second career victory in two years since his first win at the Kolon 64th Korea Open in June 2022, with a winner's prize of 160 million KRW. The tournament featured 64 players divided into 16 groups of four, who competed in three group-stage matches. The top player from each group advanced to the round of 16, followed by a knockout tournament to determine the champion.
Kim Min-gyu advanced from the group stage with 2 wins and 1 draw, then defeated Ko Gun-taek in the round of 16, Jeon Ga-ram in the quarterfinals, and Choi Seung-bin in the semifinals to reach the final. In the final against Jo Woo-young, his fellow 2001-born and Shinsung Middle School alumnus, Kim trailed by three holes up to the 10th hole (par 4), facing a bleak outlook. However, he won holes 11 through 13 to even the match. Kim celebrated after sinking the 'winning birdie' on the second sudden-death playoff hole at the 18th hole (par 5).
Jo Woo-young, who was aiming for his second victory since winning the Golfzon Open as an amateur last April, had to settle for runner-up. Choi Seung-bin and Park Joon-seop shared third place after their third-place playoff ended in a tie. Eom Jae-woong finished fifth, Kang Tae-young sixth, Jeon Ga-ram seventh, and Kim Jong-hak eighth. The KPGA Tour will continue with the major KPGA Championship (total prize money 1.6 billion KRW) held over four days starting from the 6th at A-One CC (Par 71, 7,142 yards) in Yangsan, Gyeongnam.
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