Ok Taehoon Celebrates First Domestic Tour Victory

KPGA Championship Victory by Three Shots
First Win in 125 Tournaments Since 2018 Debut
Leads in Prize Money, Genesis Points, and Scoring Average

Ok Taehoon claimed victory at the 68th KPGA Championship (total prize money: 1.6 billion won).

In the final fourth round of the tournament held on June 22 at A-One Country Club in Yangsan, Gyeongnam (par 71, 7,142 yards), Ok Taehoon shot a 9-under-par 62 to secure a three-shot win with a total score of 20-under-par 264. Having debuted on the KPGA Tour in 2018, Ok Taehoon lifted his first trophy in his 125th tournament since turning professional, or his 131st tournament including events prior to his debut. Before this victory, his best results were runner-up finishes at the 2021 Bizplay Electronic Times Open, last year's Golfzon-Toray Open, and the DB Insurance Promy Open this April.

Ok Taehoon is cheering immediately after winning the KPGA Championship. Photo by KPGA

This marks Ok Taehoon's first championship in two years and ten months since winning the Asian Tour International Series Korea in Jeju in August 2022. He received the winner's prize of 320 million won, moving him to first place on the season's money list with 622,111,079 won. He also added 1,300 Genesis points to take the lead in that category as well, with a total of 3,940.9 points. His scoring average is also ranked first at 69.3571.

Starting the day tied for second place, two shots behind the leader, Ok Taehoon recorded one eagle and seven birdies. After making his first birdie on the second hole (par 4), his third shot from about 66 meters out on the third hole (par 5) landed on the green and spun back perfectly for an eagle, boosting his momentum. Beginning with a chip-in birdie from over six meters off the green on the sixth hole (par 3), he made four consecutive birdies to surge into the lead. He completed the front nine in 29 strokes. With back-to-back birdies on the 13th and 14th holes, Ok Taehoon reached 20-under-par, extending his lead over the chasing pack to four shots and effectively sealing the win.

Kim Minkyu shot an 8-under round to finish second at 17-under-par 267. Shin Yonggu (Canada), who had led until the previous day, slipped to third at 16-under-par 268. Jeon Jaehan finished fourth at 15-under-par 269, while Moon Kyungjun and Cho Minkyu shared fifth at 13-under-par 271. Wang Junghoon, Choi Jinho, and others tied for seventh at 11-under-par 273.