An Seonghyeon and Lee Hyosong, Mixed Gender Victory in Scotland

Tied for 1st Place at Junior The Open Championship
An Seonghyeon Wins by 4 Strokes, Lee Hyosong Dominates by 8 Strokes
Moving to Royal Troon Golf Club to Watch The Open

National representatives An Seong-hyun (Bibong Middle School, 3rd year) and Lee Hyo-song (Masan Jeil Girls' High School, 1st year) delivered a double victory in Scotland. On the 17th (local time), the two players topped the leaderboard at The Junior Open Championship held at Barassie Links (Par 72) in Troon, Scotland. This is the first time Korean players have won this tournament.

Hyo-song Lee (left) and Seong-hyun Ahn are taking a commemorative photo immediately after winning the Junior The Open Championship.
[Photo by KGA]

In the men's division, An Seong-hyun started the final 3rd round in 2nd place, one stroke behind, and lowered his score by 4 strokes to secure a 4-stroke victory (6 under par, 210 strokes). New Zealand’s Cooper Moore finished 2nd (2 under par, 214 strokes). He said, "I am very happy to win a major tournament as a national representative. It was my first time playing on a links course, so I’m glad to have achieved a good result and feel refreshed." He added, "The fairways and greens were conditions I had never experienced before, so it was difficult to adapt during the practice rounds. From the 1st round onward, I got used to it and played aggressively in the remaining rounds, which was key."

In the women's division, Lee Hyo-song started the final day as the leader and achieved a commanding 8-stroke victory (9 under par, 207 strokes). Japan’s Iwanaga Anna finished 2nd (1 under par, 215 strokes). Lee Hyo-song is a player who caused a sensation by winning the World Ladies Salongpas Cup, a major tournament on the Japan Ladies Professional Golf Association (JLPGA) Tour, last May. She smiled broadly and said, "It is very meaningful to win as a national representative in a tournament featuring the best junior players from around the world. I am even happier to have won alongside An Seong-hyun." She added, "It was my first time playing on a links course. I thought the fairways would be wide, but they were not, and the greens were narrow with severe undulations, which made it tough. Still, I think I achieved a good result by protecting the tee shot landing areas well."

The tournament first started in 1994. The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews (R&A) has directly managed it since 2000 as part of youth player development. Since it is organized by the R&A, it is held around the same time and near the location of the final major tournament, The Open. It was conducted in a 3-round, 54-hole stroke play format. A total of 120 players participated, 60 men and 60 women. Only players aged 12 to 16 from R&A member countries were eligible. Korea selected one top player each based on the Korea Golf Association (KGA) rankings as of January 1, 2024. An Seong-hyun and Lee Hyo-song plan to move to the Royal Troon Golf Club in South Ayrshire, Scotland, where The Open will begin on the 18th, to watch the first round.