Mundo Yeop's Comeback Drama: Wins After Starting Tied for 21st, Six Shots Back

8-Under in GS Caltex Maekyung Open Final Round
Secures Fourth Career Victory and 300 Million Won Winner’s Prize
"Aiming for Three Wins and Player of the Year This Season"

Mundo Yeop staged a dramatic comeback.

On May 4, at Nam Seoul Country Club (par 71, 7,054 yards) in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, during the final round of the 44th GS Caltex Maekyung Open (total prize money 1.3 billion won), co-hosted by the Korea Golf Association (KGA) and the Asian Tour, Mundo Yeop fired eight birdies without a single bogey. He finished with a total score of 10-under-par 274, beating Kim Baekjun, Lee Junghwan, and Jazz Janewattananond (Thailand), who tied for second place, by three strokes.

Mundo Yeop is smiling while holding the trophy immediately after winning the GS Caltex Maekyung Open. KGA

This victory marks Mundo Yeop's fourth win on the Korea Professional Golf Association (KPGA) Tour, coming two years and eight months after his last win at the DGB Financial Group Open in September 2022. He claimed a winner’s prize of 300 million won. By winning this tournament, he also earned a five-year KPGA Tour exemption and a two-year Asian Tour exemption. With a season total of 345.66 million won in prize money, he now leads the 2025 KPGA Tour season money ranking. Taehoon Lee (Canada) is in second place with 321.54 million won.

Mundo Yeop started the final round tied for 21st, six shots behind the leader. On the back nine, he surged up the leaderboard by carding six birdies, including a streak of four consecutive birdies from holes 11 to 14. On the notoriously difficult 16th hole (par 4), he holed a lucky birdie from about 12 meters off the green. On the challenging 18th hole (par 4), he stuck his second shot to within two meters, adding another birdie. Mundo Yeop commented, "I will work hard to prepare for the remaining tournaments with the goal of three wins this season and the Player of the Year award."

Kim Baekjun, Jazz Janewattananond, and Lee Junghwan, who shared the lead the previous day, finished tied for second. Kim Baekjun has continued his upward momentum this year on the KPGA Tour with a win, a tie for 10th, and a tie for second in three events. He is currently first in Player of the Year points (1,894 points) and third in the money ranking (312.35 million won). Amateur Seonghyeon Ahn (Shinseong High School), born in 2009, dropped 13 strokes and finished tied for 66th at 9-over-par 293.