Jeong Chan-min overcame inclement weather and fierce competition to achieve a wire-to-wire victory at the KPGA Tour's The Charity Classic, which has a total prize pool of 1 billion won.
On the final round held on October 18 at the Seowon Valley Country Club in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, Jeong recorded one birdie, three bogeys, and one double bogey for a score of 4-over par 76.
With a total score of 19-under par 269, Jeong edged out second-place Shin Sang-hoon, who finished at 18-under par 270, by one stroke to lift the winner's trophy. He earned 200 million won in prize money.
This victory marks Jeong's third career win, following his triumphs at the GS Caltex Maekyung Open in May 2023 and the Golfzon-Dore Open in November of the same year, ending a 2-year and 11-month winless streak. He also overcame the disappointment of two runner-up finishes earlier this season at the Founders Cup and Golfzon Open.
Jeong added 1,000 Genesis points with this win, moving him up to second place in the standings and improving his position in the season's prize money rankings.
Starting the final round with a four-stroke lead over Shin, Jeong faced challenges midway through the round. After saving par on the first seven holes, he recorded his first bogey on the eighth hole (par 4) and then suffered a double bogey on the tenth hole (par 4) as rain intensified. Play was suspended for 1 hour and 38 minutes starting at 1:22 PM due to heavy rain.
When play resumed at 3 PM, Jeong recorded another bogey on the 11th hole (par 5) but managed to secure his only birdie of the day on the 13th hole (par 3). After another bogey on the 16th hole (par 5), he entered the final 18th hole with a two-stroke lead over Shin and Kim Baek-jun.
Kim finished his round with a par, while Shin closed the gap with a birdie on the 18th hole, bringing the score to a one-stroke difference. Facing the possibility of a playoff if he bogeyed, Jeong calmly finished the last hole with a par to secure his victory.
After the match, Jeong said, "I started comfortably with a significant lead, but it became challenging enough to make that lead feel insignificant. I'm just glad it ended well. The weather was uncertain, and I wasn't sure if we could finish the round, but I stayed focused until the end."
He added, "Aside from the final round, it was a perfect week. It's been 2 years and 11 months since my last win, and I want to thank everyone who has supported me consistently during my three-year winless period."
Shin Sang-hoon finished in second place but, thanks to his performance, moved to first place in the Genesis points standings.
Kim Baek-jun secured third place with a total score of 17-under par 271.
Choi Chan finished fourth with a total score of 16-under par 272.
Ok Tae-hoon and Lee Soo-min concluded the tournament tied for fifth place with a total score of 13-under par 275.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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