Sh Suhyup Bank MBN Women's Open: Wire-to-Wire Victory
Second Career Win Since 2022 E1 Charity Open
Coach Joo Heungchul's Reverse Grip Advice Pays Off
Chaeun Lee2 Finishes Second, Hansol Ji Third, Yewon Lee Seventh
Yoonji Jung achieved a wire-to-wire victory.
On June 1, at The Starhue (par 72, 6,787 yards) in Yangpyeong-gun, Gyeonggi Province, she shot a 2-under-par 70 in the final third round of the KLPGA Tour Sh Suhyup Bank MBN Women's Open (total prize money: 1 billion won), finishing at the top with a total score of 17-under-par 199. This marks her second career win, coming three years after her first victory at the 2022 E1 Charity Open. By leading the tournament from start to finish for a wire-to-wire win, she earned a prize of 180 million won.
Yoonji Jung is cheering immediately after winning the Sh Suhyup Bank MBN Women's Open. Photo by KLPGA
Yoonji Jung won a team silver medal at the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games alongside Hae-Ran Yoo and Hee-Jeong Lim. She is known for her precise shots on the KLPGA Tour. However, she has struggled on the greens, never recording an average of fewer than 30 putts per round since her debut. This year, her putting ranking is 102nd with an average of 31.91 putts.
This tournament was different. She made 25 putts in the first round and 28 in the second, collecting 15 birdies without a single bogey. Even under increased pressure on the final day, she rarely missed crucial putts at critical moments. This improvement began when she switched to a reverse grip, placing her left hand below on the putter. Following advice from coach Joo Heungchul, a former KPGA Tour player, she changed her putting grip starting from the E1 Charity Open, which ended on May 25, and saw significant results in this tournament.
Chaeun Lee2 finished second by one stroke (16-under-par 200), marking her second consecutive runner-up finish. Hansol Ji, Hwayoung Yoon, and Songyi An tied for third (13-under-par 203). Last year's champion, Yewon Lee, finished tied for seventh (11-under-par 205).
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
