Tied for 7th at Lexus Masters, clinches award regardless of season finale
Three wins this year, leads in prize money and scoring average
Kim Jaeho, son of Lotte Giants minor league manager Kim Yonghee, claims first victory
Ok Taehoon has secured the Genesis Award for the 2025 season of the Korea Professional Golfers' Association (KPGA) Tour ahead of schedule.
On November 2, at Ferrum Club (par 72, 7,273 yards) in Yeoju, Gyeonggi Province, Ok finished the fourth round of the KPGA Tour Lexus Masters (total prize money of 1 billion won) tied for 7th place with an even-par 288, after dropping five strokes. Ok only needed to finish tied for 27th or better in this tournament to clinch the Genesis Award, and with this result, he became the winner of the award for this year, regardless of the outcome of the season-ending Tour Championship.
Ok Taehoon is posing after securing a tie for 7th place at the Lexus Masters, early confirming the Genesis Award. Photo by KPGA
Ok Taehoon will receive a 200 million won bonus, a Genesis vehicle, an entry to the 2026 PGA Tour Genesis Scottish Open, direct qualification for the final stage of the PGA Tour Qualifying (Q) School, a five-year KPGA Tour exemption, and a one-year DP World Tour exemption, among other rewards.
This year, Ok Taehoon has won the KPGA Championship, Gunsan Country Club Open, and KPGA Gyeongbuk Open, leading not only in Genesis Award points but also in prize money and scoring average. Had he won this tournament, he would have become the first player in 33 years since Choi Sangho in 1992 to achieve four wins in a single KPGA Tour season.
In a post-round interview, Ok said, "It doesn't quite feel real because I struggled today with a 5-over-par," adding, "I'm grateful to have received the award thanks to my good performance this year, and I will work even harder going forward." Reflecting on the secret to his success this season, he said, "My mental game improved compared to last year, and I gained more distance, which helped me finish in the top 10 ten times in 19 tournaments this year. I never imagined I would win three times or claim the Genesis Award, but winning the KPGA Championship gave me confidence."
Ok Taehoon will head to the United States early next month. He said, "I plan to prepare for the PGA Tour Q-School in December," and added, "As for the DP World Tour, I think I will focus on training for a while before competing at the beginning of the season."
Sadom Kaewkanjana (Thailand) has been named KPGA Tour Rookie of the Year for 2025. He became the first Thai player to win the award after claiming victory at the Kolon Korea Open in May. Kaewkanjana said, "It is an honor to receive the Rookie of the Year award, which was my goal when I started playing on the KPGA Tour this year. I sincerely thank my fellow players who helped me adjust to life in Korea and the Korean fans who supported me."
Kim Jaeho is taking a commemorative photo with his family after winning his first career victory at the Lexus Masters. Photo by KPGA
Meanwhile, the tournament victory went to Kim Jaeho, son of Kim Yonghee, the manager of the Lotte Giants' second team in professional baseball. Kim Jaeho finished with a total score of 2-under-par 286, tying with Hwang Junggon, Choi Jinho, and Lee Yooseok, and secured the win with a birdie on the first playoff hole at the 18th (par 5). This marked his first regular tour victory in 17 years since his last win on the KPGA Tour in 2008. The winner's prize is 200 million won.
After clinching the win, Kim Jaeho celebrated by wearing a Lotte Giants uniform top with his father Kim Yonghee's name on it. Kim said, "In the past, I would get greedy trying to win or achieve good results, and it wouldn't work out, so this time I just hit my third shot in the playoff without thinking. As I got older, I started to lose confidence, thinking it would be hard to win, but by persevering, I was able to achieve a good result this time," he said with joy.
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