Shinhan Donghae Open Final Round: 8-Under Surge to Sixth Place
Only Korean Player in the Top 10
Higa Claims Second Win of the Season, Lee Taehoon Ties for Second
Kim Sunghyun upheld the reputation of a PGA Tour member during his visit to his home country.
On September 14 at the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea in Incheon (par 72, 7,471 yards), Kim shot an impressive 8-under-par 64 in the final round of the Shinhan Donghae Open on the Korean Professional Golfers' Association (KPGA) Tour, with a total prize fund of 1.5 billion won. He climbed to sixth place with a 15-under-par 273.
Starting the day tied for 25th, seven strokes behind the leader, Kim recorded eight birdies without a single bogey. He delivered the best daily score of the final round and demonstrated his ability to surge up the leaderboard. In this tournament, which was co-hosted by the Japan Golf Tour Organization (JGTO) and the Asian Tour, Kim was the only Korean national to finish in the top 10.
Kim Sunghyun advanced to the PGA Tour after competing on the KPGA Tour and the JGTO, but after a disappointing season last year, he was relegated to the Korn Ferry Tour (the second-tier tour) this year. He currently ranks sixth in Korn Ferry Tour points this season and has secured his return to the PGA Tour for next year. “Rather than focusing on winning, I will try to play my best golf,” he said. “It was mentally tough after being sent down to the Korn Ferry Tour, but I have become much stronger inside. It was a time that allowed me to develop the strength to overcome difficult situations,” he reflected.
Kim plans to compete in two more KPGA Tour events, the Golfzon Open and the Hyundai Marine & Fire Insurance Choi Kyungju Invitational, before heading back to the United States to play in the third and fourth rounds of the Korn Ferry Tour playoffs.
Kazuki Higa of Japan reduced his score by four strokes and never relinquished the lead, winning the tournament with an 18-under-par 270. Following his victory at last month’s ISPS Handa Expulsion, this marks his second JGTO win of the season and the eighth of his career. Higa earned a winner’s purse of 270 million won, as well as a two-year exemption on both the KPGA Tour and the Asian Tour. He also claimed his second Shinhan Donghae Open title, having previously won in 2022. For the second consecutive year, a Japanese player has won the Shinhan Donghae Open, following Gensei Hirata’s victory last year.
Although Higa stands only 158 cm tall, he averages 297 yards off the tee, ranking 35th in driving distance on the JGTO. He said, “Over the past three years, I have realized how important distance is, so I have tried various training methods and even changed clubs to increase my distance.” He added, “I would like to play in Korean tournaments such as the Korea Open or the Genesis Championship if possible, but the Japan Tour schedule takes priority. I am also considering playing on the PGA Tour, but nothing has been decided yet.”
Taehun Lee of Canada, who has four wins on the KPGA Tour, finished tied for second at 17-under-par 271, just one stroke behind the winner. Scott Vincent of Zimbabwe, a top player on the Asian Tour, also shot four under par to join the group tied for second. Taehun Ok, who leads the KPGA Tour money list, finished tied for 18th at 10-under-par 278.
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