Lee Da-yeon secured a dramatic comeback victory at the KLPGA Tour Aurora World Championship, which featured a total prize pool of 1 billion won.
On the final day of the tournament held at the Aurora Golf & Resort in Wonju, Gangwon Province, Lee shot a 3-under-par 69, including one eagle, four birdies, and one triple bogey.
With a total score of 12-under 276, Lee edged out Kim Su-ji, who finished at 11-under 277, by one stroke. This victory marked Lee's first win in nearly 11 months since the Hana Financial Group Championship in September of last year.
With this win, Lee became the 17th player in KLPGA history to achieve 10 career victories. She also earned a prize of 180 million won and 70 points in the Player of the Year standings, moving her to fifth in the season's earnings and fourth in the points ranking.
Starting the final round tied for third, two strokes behind the leader, Lee faced a challenging start. She made her first birdie on the third hole (par 4) but struggled on the fifth hole (par 4), where her second shot went out of bounds, resulting in a triple bogey.
However, she turned the momentum around on the last hole of the front nine. On the ninth hole (par 4), her second shot from 123 meters found the hole for an eagle.
In the back nine, Lee accelerated her pursuit of the lead, recording birdies on the 15th hole (par 4) and the 17th hole (par 3), narrowing the gap to just one stroke.
The decisive moment came on the 18th hole (par 4). Lee set up a 2.5-meter birdie opportunity with an accurate iron shot and calmly made the putt. In contrast, Kim's second shot went over the green, and her par putt missed, sealing Lee's comeback victory.
In a post-victory interview, Lee said, "After making the triple bogey, I thought the win was out of reach. I then focused on my game without worrying about the outcome. I am very happy to achieve this meaningful record of 10 wins in my 10th season with my sponsor, Mediheal."
Seo Kyo-rim, Lee Ye-won, Kim Jae-hee, and Lee Ji-hyun finished tied for third with a total score of 8-under 280.
Go Ji-won and Choi Ga-bin tied for seventh with a total score of 7-under 281, while Hong Jin-young and Ma Seo-young finished tied for ninth at 6-under 282.
After a two-week break, the KLPGA Tour will resume its second-half schedule with the 13th Jeju Samdasoo Masters starting on August 6.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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