Yoo Songkyu Finishes Third, Kaeukkanjana Claims Victory

One Over Par in the Final Round of the Korea Open
Second Top-Three Finish Since the 2020 Hazzys Golf KPGA Open
Thailand's Kaeukkanjana Claims Victory, Saksansin Takes Second Place

Yoo Songkyu finished in the top three at the 67th Kolon Korea Open, the national title event, which had a total prize pool of 1.4 billion KRW.

In the fourth round of the tournament, held on May 25 at La Vie Est Belle Golf & Resort Dunes Course (par 71) in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, he lost one stroke and finished in third place. This is his best personal result since finishing third at the Hazzys Golf KPGA Open in August 2020. He earned 75 million KRW in prize money.

Yoo Songkyu is teeing off at the 1st hole of the 4th round of the Kolon Korea Open. Photo by Kolon Korea Open Organizing Committee

Yoo Songkyu started the round in third place, three shots behind the leader, and recorded two birdies and three bogeys. He made up for a bogey on the 3rd hole with a birdie on the 7th hole (both par 4), but consecutive bogeys on the 14th and 15th holes pushed him out of contention for the win. He managed to reduce one stroke on the 16th hole (par 5), but there were not enough holes left to catch up.

Since debuting on the Korea Professional Golfers' Association (KPGA) Tour in 2015, Yoo Songkyu has yet to claim a victory. After years of unremarkable results and mostly lower- to mid-tier finishes, he lost his tour card in 2020 and spent two years playing on the Challenge (second-tier) Tour and other events. He returned to the KPGA Tour last year after going through the qualifying tournament. His weight, which reached 137 kg in 2021, has now dropped to 100 kg, drawing attention.

Sadom Kaeukkanjana is reading the green on the 2nd hole of the 4th round at the Kolon Korea Open. Kolon Korea Open Organizing Committee

Sadom Kaeukkanjana (Thailand) shot one under par to win by two strokes (seven under par, 277 total). He took home the winner’s prize of 500 million KRW. The Korea Open trophy has gone to a Thai player for the first time in six years, since Jazz Janewattananond (Thailand) in 2019. It is also the first time in two years that a foreign player has won, after Han Seungsu (United States) in 2023.

Kaeukkanjana, who is 26 years old this year, is a dominant force in Thai golf with six titles. On the Asian Professional Golf Tour, this marks his third victory, following the 2019 Bangabandhu Cup Golf Open and the 2022 SMBC Singapore Open. Kaeukkanjana has earned a five-year KPGA Tour card and a two-year Asian Professional Golf Tour card. Notably, he also secured a coveted spot in The Open, a major tournament scheduled for July.

Phum Saksansin (Thailand), who led after the previous round, lost two strokes and dropped to second place (five under par, 279 total). Seven players, including amateur Kim Minsoo (a sophomore at Howon Bangtong High School) and Kim Dongmin, tied for fourth place (two under par, 282 total). The event was hosted by the Korea Golf Association (KGA) and jointly organized by the KPGA Tour and the Asian Professional Golf Tour.