Jungmin Hong Makes History with New 72-Hole Lowest Score and Most Under-Par Record

Mediheal Championship Victory with 29-Under-Par 259
Second Win of the Season, Third Career Title, and Rises to No. 1 on Money List
Hyunjo Yoo Finishes Second, Seunghee Noh Third, Arim Kim Ties for 34th

Hong Jungmin has broken the 72-hole lowest score record.

On August 17, at the Montvert Country Club Autumn-Winter Course (par 72, 6,544 yards) in Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province, Hong fired a 7-under-par 65 in the final round of the Mediheal-Korea Daily Championship on the KLPGA Tour (total prize money: 1 billion KRW), clinching a dominant victory by 9 strokes with a total of 29-under-par 259. This marks her second win of the season and third career victory, coming three months after her previous triumph at the Chris F&C KLPGA Championship, a major tournament, in May.

Hong Jungmin is cheering after making a birdie on the 3rd hole of the 4th round at the Mediheal-Korea Daily Championship. Photo by KLPGA

With the winner’s prize of 180 million KRW, Hong Jungmin has risen to first place on the money list with 898,926,667 KRW. She also shattered the previous KLPGA Tour 72-hole lowest score record of 265, set by Kim Haneul at the 2013 MBN-Kim Youngjoo Golf Women’s Open, by a margin of 6 strokes. Her 29-under-par total is a new record as well, far surpassing the previous 72-hole lowest-to-par record of 23-under set by Kim Haneul, You Hae-ran (2020 Jeju Samdasoo Masters), and Lee Jungmin (2024 Chris F&C KLPGA Championship). Hong made an impressive 31 birdies during the tournament. If not for a bogey on the 5th hole (par 4) in the final round, she could have achieved the first-ever bogey-free 72-hole victory in KLPGA Tour history.

Hong Jungmin was born and raised in Daejeon. She was called “Little Pak Se-ri” from an early age due to her similar swing to the world-renowned star Pak Se-ri, who is also from Daejeon. After an unsuccessful attempt to join the LPGA Tour, she challenged herself on the Ladies European Tour (LET) before returning, drawing attention for her remarkable determination. Last year, she endured a difficult period due to autonomic nervous system dysfunction, panic disorder, and skin allergies. Hong commented, “I was disappointed with the bogey on the 5th hole, but I also felt relieved,” adding, “I will work hard again to get another win.”

You Hyunjo carded a 5-under-par 67 to finish second at 20-under-par 268. This season, she has made the top 10 eleven times in 17 tournaments without missing a single cut. Noh Seunghee, Kim Min-sol, and Kim Min-sun7 shared third place at 19-under-par 269. Lee Yewon, who claimed three victories in the first half of the season and had led the money list for three months with 875,186,436 KRW, finished tied for 17th at 13-under-par 275, surrendering the top spot to Hong Jungmin. LPGA member Kim A-lim finished tied for 34th at 9-under-par 279.