Next generation star Jeong Soo-bin (NH Nonghyup Card) has secured her first professional title in women's billiards (LPBA).
On October 11, Jeong triumphed over Im Mi-rae (High1 Resort) in the LPBA finals of the 2026-2027 season's fourth tour, the Crown Haetae PBA-LPBA Championship, held at the PBA Stadium in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, with a set score of 4-2 (11-1, 11-10, 10-11, 11-7, 8-11, 11-5).
Having made her professional debut during the 2022-2023 season's third tour (TS Shampoo & Puradak Championship), Jeong achieved her first victory after four years and one month. This win also helped her overcome the disappointment of finishing as a runner-up in the previous season's ninth tour (Welcome Savings Bank Championship).
With this victory, Jeong added 40 million won in prize money and 20,000 ranking points, propelling her from 25th to 3rd place in the season rankings.
Jeong, who began playing billiards while working part-time at a billiards hall, has shown rapid improvement, winning the Young Star Award at the PBA Golden Cue Awards last season. In this tournament, she defeated Park Jung-hyun (Harim) in the quarterfinals and Han Ji-eun (SY) in the semifinals before facing Im in the final.
Jeong took control early in the final match, scoring 2 points in the second inning of the first set and then adding 8 points in the third inning, including two bank shots, to win the first set 11-1 in just four innings.
Riding the momentum, Jeong scored 4 points in the ninth inning of the second set, turning the score around to 9-8. She added two more points in the 10th and 11th innings to win the set 11-10, leading 2-0 in sets.
However, Jeong faced a setback in the third set. After reaching set point with a high run of 7 points in the second inning, she failed to score in the next three innings, allowing Im to come back and win the set 11-10.
After dropping a set, Jeong regained her lead in the fourth set, scoring 4 points in both the third and fourth innings to lead 8-4. She won the set 11-7, leaving her just one set away from victory.
In the fifth set, Jeong encountered Im's counterattack. After falling behind 2-6 by the third inning, Jeong attempted to catch up but lost the set 8-11, narrowing her lead to 3-2 in sets.
Jeong sealed her victory in the sixth set. She jumped to an 8-1 lead after three innings, adding points in the seventh and eighth innings to make it 10-5. She then scored using a side shot in the 10th inning, finishing the match at 11-5.
After her victory, Jeong expressed, "When I first started billiards, I felt lost and wondered if I could ever reach a high level. I practiced hard, hoping for moments like this." She acknowledged that despite her win, she still has much to improve and is focused on strengthening her fundamentals.
On the other hand, Im, who had won a championship after five years in the seventh tour of the previous season (High1 Resort Championship), aimed for her sixth title but finished as the runner-up.
The 'Welcome Top Ranking' award, given to the player with the highest average in a single match, was awarded to Ha Yun-jeong, who recorded an average of 2.500 in the round of 128.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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