Yoo Songkyu Shoots 6-Under... "Aiming for First Victory in the Final Event"

Fierce Race for Victory in KPGA Tour Championship Round 1
Park Sanghyun and Moon Kyungjun Share the Lead with Yoo Songkyu
Lee Taehun in 10th, Ok Taehun in 30th in Money Title Race

Yoo Songkyu has laid the groundwork for his first career victory.

On November 6, at Teddy Valley Golf & Resort (par 72, 7,259 yards) in Seogwipo, Jeju, Yoo shot a 6-under-par 66 in the first round of the Tour Championship-the final event of the 2025 season on the Korea Professional Golfers' Association (KPGA) Tour, with a total prize fund of 1.1 billion won-claiming the top spot on the leaderboard. Veterans Park Sanghyun and Moon Kyungjun also joined the group tied for the lead.

Yoo Songkyu Shoots 6-Under... "Aiming for First Victory in the Final Event"

Yoo Songkyu is teeing off at the first hole of the first round of the KPGA Tour Championship. Photo by KPGA

Yoo recorded seven birdies and one bogey. He reduced three strokes on the front nine with birdies at holes 1, 4, and 8. On the back nine, he added back-to-back birdies at holes 12 and 13, and another birdie at the par-4 16th. Although his tee shot landed in the rough at the par-3 17th, resulting in a bogey, he immediately recovered with a birdie at the par-4 18th hole.

Yoo debuted on the KPGA Tour in 2015 but has yet to secure a win. Even this year, prior to this tournament, he played in 18 events and finished in the top five three times. His best results this season were third place at the 67th Kolon Korea Open in May and a tie for third at last month's KPGA Gyeongbuk Open. He is currently ranked 18th in Genesis Points (2,325.7 points) and 21st on the money list (207,282,637 won).

Six players, including Park Junseop and Kim Junseong, are tied for fourth place at 5-under-par 67, just one stroke behind, signaling a fierce competition at the top of the leaderboard. In the race for the money title, Lee Taehun of Canada, currently second in prize money, is tied for 10th at 4-under-par 68, keeping his chances for an upset alive. The current money list leader, Ok Taehun, is tied for 30th at 1-under-par 71.