19-year-old rookie Bang Shin-sil was tied for the lead in the final round at the 45th KLPGA Championship (total prize money of 1.3 billion won), the first major tournament of the KLPGA Tour season.
On the 29th, on the third day of the tournament held at the Lakewood CC mountain path-forest course (par 72, 6570 yards) in Yangju, Gyeonggi-do, Bang Shin-sil hit 4 under par 68 with 1 eagle, 5 birdies and 3 bogeys, for a median total of 9 under par 207. He tied for the lead with Lee Da-yeon, who reduced 3 strokes that day. The game started 1 hour late due to rain and was stopped for 2 hours due to water on the green during the game.
Bang Sin-sil, who passed through the national team, is the first KLPGA Tour match she participated in after winning the professional qualification. It is, so to speak, his official debut. Bang Shin-sil, who obtained a seed through the regular member selection in October of last year, participated in this tournament as the 40th seed in the regular tour. But he couldn’t feel the quivering tension that rookie players have throughout the game.
Bang Sin-sil showed the possibility of growing into a large player by putting the second shot from the par 5 hole 7, which left 191 yards from the pin, to the pin 5.5m and connecting it with an eagle. Bang Sin-sil put the third shot into the water on hole 15 (par 5), but also showed concentration by putting a long-distance bogey putt at a distance of 9m.
Bang Sin-sil, who climbed to the lead by one stroke with consecutive birdies on holes 16 and 17, allowed a tie for the lead with a bogey on hole 18 (par 4), but showed no concern. If Bang Shin-sil wins, it will be the fourth rookie championship in this tournament in its 45-year history. The previous winners were recorded in 2001, Jeon Mi-jeong in 2002, and Baek Gyu-gyu in 2014. 크크크벳
After the game, Bang Shin-sil said, “Today’s putt went well, so I was able to reduce the number of strokes a lot. There wasn’t really anything that didn’t go well, but I think I made a bogey because I couldn’t calculate the wind accurately,” he said. “I will play aggressively tomorrow. I will do my best with no regrets.”
Lee Da-yeon, who has 6 wins in her tour career, is a strong player in big games. Among the six wins, two major wins (2019 Korean Women’s Open, 2021 Hanwha Classic) are included. However, after winning the 2021 championship, she had to have a hard time due to frequent injuries.
Lee Da-yeon, who finished the third round with a joint lead by catching a birdie at a distance of 5m on the 17th hole (par 3), said, “I feel much better now. There is nothing wrong with playing,” he said. “A major tournament is a tournament I always want to win. I always want to, but the ranking is not something I can do, so I think the most important thing is to do my best.”
Park Gyeol, who took the lead by one stroke the day before, hit even par while exchanging three bogeys each with a birdie, and tied for third place with Lee So-young and Choi Ye-rim with an intermediate total of 7-under-par 209 strokes. A-Yeon Jo, Ga-Eun Song, and Ye-Bin Son are tied for 6th with a median total of 6 under par and 210 strokes.
Kim A-rim, who started defending the title, failed to reduce the number of strokes with 4 birdies and 4 bogeys, and tied for 9th place with Lee Ye-won, Hwang Yu-min, and Han Jin-sun with an intermediate total of 5 under par 211 strokes.