Victory by Two Strokes at the Gwangnam Ilbo·Happiness Open
First Foreign Winner on Regular Tour in 10 Years
Shanghai Native; Park Hyejun and Park Jooyoung Tie for Second
Rishu Ying (China) has become the first Chinese player to win on the Korea Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) Tour.
On October 26, at the final third round of the Gwangnam Ilbo and Happiness Open (total prize money: 1 billion won) held at Happiness Country Club in Naju, Jeollanam-do (par 72, 6,727 yards), she shot a 4-under-par 68 with six birdies and two bogeys. With a final total of 11-under-par 205, she finished two strokes ahead of the players tied for second place. The winner's prize is 180 million won. She is the first foreign player in ten years to win a regular KLPGA Tour event, following Haru Nomura (Japan), who won the Hanwha Financial Classic in September 2015.
Rishu Ying smiles holding the trophy right after winning the Gwangnam Ilbo and Happiness Open. Photo by KLPGA
Rishu Ying is the first foreign player to debut on the regular KLPGA Tour through the same process as Korean players, after the KLPGA fully opened the associate membership qualifying tournament and the Jump (third-tier) Tour to foreign players to provide them with opportunities to enter the domestic tour. She played as a rookie on the regular tour in 2023, and her previous best result was tied for fourth place twice this year. She is from Shanghai, China, born to a Chinese father and a Korean (Joseonjok) mother. She has lived in Korea since the age of eight and is fluent in Korean. Last year, she won once on the Dream (second-tier) Tour.
Rishu Ying started the final round tied for eighth, two shots behind the leader. After making up for a birdie on the 2nd hole with a bogey on the 4th hole (both par 4), she surged up the leaderboard with consecutive birdies on the 7th and 8th holes, and further birdies on the 10th and 14th holes. On the 17th hole (par 5), where she was leading the tied second-place players by one stroke, she secured a birdie to widen the gap to two strokes and solidify her victory.
In a televised interview, Rishu Ying said in Korean, "It feels like a dream, and it doesn't feel real." She added, "On the 14th hole, both my tee shot and second shot were not good, so I thought I would be happy with just a par, but I was lucky to make a chip-in birdie." She continued, "I can't believe I'm standing in a place I used to only see on TV. I wanted to challenge myself more this year, and now that I've achieved my goal by winning, I will work even harder in the future."
Five players-Ma Dasom, Park Hyejun, Park Jooyoung, Yoo Jina, and Park Sohae-tied for second place at 9-under-par 207. Jeon Woori, Jung Jiho, and Kim Nayoung finished tied for seventh at 8-under-par 208, while Bang Shinsil and Jung Yoonji tied for tenth at 7-under-par 209. Hong Jungmin and Kim Minsol tied for twelfth at 6-under-par 210, and Lee Yewon and Park Jiyoung finished tied for eighteenth at 5-under-par 211.
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