Wang Jung-hoon wins KPGA Tour's Choi Kyung-ju Invitational for first domestic title
In short
Wang Jung-hoon won the KPGA Tour's Hyundai Marine & Fire Insurance Choi Kyung-ju Invitational at Ferrum Club in Yeoju, Gyeonggi Province, on October 4, his first title on the Korean tour. He closed with a bogey-free 4-under 68 for a 10-under 278 total, three strokes ahead of Kim Hong-taek (7-under 281), and took 250 million won from a 1.25 billion won purse. Wang, a three-time DP World Tour winner, had played nine KPGA Tour events this season with four top-10 finishes before winning in his 10th start.
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Wang Jung-hoon won the KPGA Tour's Hyundai Marine & Fire Insurance Choi Kyung-ju Invitational at Ferrum Club in Yeoju, Gyeonggi Province, on October 4, his first victory on the Korean tour, Yonhap and Asia Economy reported. He closed with a bogey-free 4-under 68 for a 10-under 278 total, finishing three strokes ahead of Kim Hong-taek, who was 7-under 281. Wang took the first prize of 250 million won from a total purse of 1.25 billion won. [ 2 , 5 ]
Starting the final round in third place, Wang birdied the 2nd hole with a 3.9-metre putt and followed with a birdie at the 3rd, Yonhap reported. When Kim Yeon-seop bogeyed the 4th, Wang moved into sole lead, and Kim birdied the 7th to draw level again. At the par-5 12th, Wang's approach finished 1.8 metres from the hole for a birdie while Kim missed a 1.4-metre par putt, putting Wang two shots ahead. Kim's bogey at the 15th stretched the gap to three, and after dropping another shot at the 18th he fell to joint third, while Kim Hong-taek birdied the 18th to take second. [ 2 , 5 ]
Asia Economy reported that Kim Yeon-seop, the previous day's leader, finished joint third at 6-under 282 alongside Lee Sang-hee, with Bae Sang-moon joint sixth at 3-under 285 and Choi Jin-ho and Lee Soo-min joint eighth at 2-under 286. The host, Choi Kyung-ju, finished joint 23rd at 2-over 290, while defending champion Jeon Ga-ram and Jang Yu-bin were joint 31st at 3-over 291. Asia Economy described runner-up Kim Hong-taek as the “king of screen golf.” [ 5 ]
This was Wang's 10th KPGA Tour event of the season and his first win, after four top-10 finishes in his first nine starts, according to Yonhap and Asia Economy. He had debuted on the DP World Tour in 2016, winning the Hassan II Trophy and the Mauritius Open that year and taking rookie-of-the-year honours, then added a third title at the Qatar Masters in January 2017. After military service he was discharged in July 2022 and played both overseas and on the KPGA Tour, Asia Economy reported; he passed the KPGA Tour's qualifying event last year and has played the domestic tour this season. [ 2 , 5 ]
The win left Wang first in the season's rookie points standings with 2,294.67 points, fifth in the Genesis points race on 3,546.20 points and sixth on the money list with 487,225,693 won, according to Yonhap and Asia Economy. [ 2 , 5 ]
Why it matters
The win gives Wang, who built his career on the DP World Tour and returned to domestic play after military service, his first KPGA Tour title and moves him to first in the rookie points race and fifth in the Genesis points standings. For the KPGA Tour, its event hosted by Choi Kyung-ju drew a winner with an overseas record, which the business outlets highlighted in their headlines.
Key facts
- Wang Jung-hoon won the KPGA Tour Hyundai Marine & Fire Insurance Choi Kyung-ju Invitational on October 4 at Ferrum Club in Yeoju, Gyeonggi Province. [ 2 , 5 ]
- He shot a bogey-free 4-under 68 in the final round for a 10-under 278 total, beating Kim Hong-taek (7-under 281) by three strokes. [ 2 , 5 ]
- The win was Wang's first on the KPGA Tour; the tournament carried a total purse of 1.25 billion won and a first prize of 250 million won. [ 2 , 5 ]
- Lee Sang-hee and Kim Yeon-seop tied for third at 6-under 282. [ 2 , 5 ]
- Wang had three DP World Tour victories before this event, and this was his 10th KPGA Tour start of the season after four top-10 finishes in his first nine. [ 2 , 5 ]
- Wang leads the season's rookie points standings with 2,294.67 points, is fifth in Genesis points (3,546.20) and sixth on the money list (487,225,693 won). [ 2 , 5 ]
- Asia Economy reported that tournament host Choi Kyung-ju finished tied for 23rd at 2-over 290, and defending champion Jeon Ga-ram and Jang Yu-bin tied for 31st at 3-over 291. [ 5 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Wang Jung-hoon won the Hyundai Marine & Fire Insurance Choi Kyung-ju Invitational. [ 1 , 2 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 ]
- It was his first victory on the KPGA Tour. [ 2 , 4 , 5 ]
- Wang had previously won three times on the DP World Tour. [ 1 , 2 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 ]
- He finished at 10-under 278, three strokes clear of runner-up Kim Hong-taek. [ 2 , 5 ]
- The tournament was played at Ferrum Club in Yeoju, Gyeonggi Province, with the final round on October 4. [ 2 , 5 ]
Still unclear
- The hole-by-hole account of the final round, including Wang's birdies at the 2nd, 3rd and 12th holes and Kim Yeon-seop's bogeys at the 12th, 15th and 18th. This sequence appears only in Yonhap's report; Asia Economy gives the final scores but not the hole-by-hole detail, so it rests on a single outlet.
- Any further detail from the Kukmin Ilbo, Seoul Shinmun, Newsis and Korea Economic Daily reports. Only headlines were available for Kukmin Ilbo and Seoul Shinmun, and the article text carried on the Newsis and Korea Economic Daily pages concerned unrelated subjects, so those outlets can only confirm the result itself.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Kukmin Ilbo publishes the earliest of the documents reporting Wang Jung-hoon's win. [ 1 ]
- Yonhap publishes its full report on the final round at Ferrum Club. [ 2 ]
- Yonhap publishes the tournament's final rankings. [ 3 ]
- Seoul Shinmun reports the win in a headline. [ 4 ]
- Asia Economy publishes its report with final standings and Wang's background. [ 5 ]
- Newsis reports the win in a headline. [ 6 ]
- Korea Economic Daily reports the win in a headline. [ 7 ]