Yoo Hyun-jo clinched a thrilling victory by one stroke at the final event of the 2026 KLPGA Tour season.
On November 8, at the Seowon Valley Country Club in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, Yoo shot a 4-under 68 in the final round of the Daebo House D Championship, which had a total prize purse of 1.2 billion won. She recorded five birdies and one bogey.
With a total score of 14-under 202, Yoo held off a strong challenge from Lee Ye-won, who finished at 13-under 203, to secure the top spot.
This victory marks Yoo's third win of the season and her fifth career title, following her triumphs at the DB Women's Championship in May and the HJ Construction & Dongbu Construction Championship in October.
Yoo also earned a prize of 300 million won, bringing her total earnings for the season to 1.18598 billion won, finishing third in the overall prize money rankings.
Before the tournament, Yoo was ranked third in average score, trailing Seo Kyo-rim and Kim Min-sol. However, her outstanding performance in this event propelled her to first place in average score for the season at 70.6795, earning her the lowest average score award for the second consecutive year.
The journey to victory was not easy. Yoo faced a tight contest with Lee Ye-won until the latter stages of the match. After making a birdie on the 15th hole (par 5), Yoo extended her lead to two strokes, but Lee responded with consecutive birdies on the 16th hole (par 3) and the 17th hole (par 4), tying the score.
Yoo encountered a challenge on the 17th hole when her tee shot landed in a bunker. After a difficult approach, she managed to sink a 4-meter par putt to maintain her share of the lead.
The decisive moment came on the 18th hole (par 4), where Yoo's second shot with a 9-iron landed just 1.2 meters from the hole. In contrast, Lee's second shot stopped 8.1 meters away. While Lee made par, Yoo calmly converted her birdie putt to seal the victory.
After the match, Yoo expressed her gratitude, saying, "I am so thankful to win the last tournament of the season. I was worried about my shot control due to the cold, but I was able to perform well in the last two holes, which led to my victory."
Yoo mentioned that she did not have high expectations for the lowest average score award. "Before the tournament, my father told me that if I shot 14-under, I could win the lowest average score award. I told him to stop dreaming. But strangely, I shot 14-under, won the tournament, and received the lowest average score award. I am so honored," she said.
Looking ahead, Yoo is set to travel to the United States on November 13 to compete in the LPGA Tour Q-Series, which will take place in Mobile, Alabama, from November 19 for five days. She stated, "When I go to the LPGA, I will compete with pride for Korea and do my best to reach the highest level possible."
Meanwhile, with this tournament, all individual titles for the season have been determined.
Kim Min-sol swept the Player of the Year, prize money title, and Rookie of the Year awards, achieving a remarkable three-title feat. In the final round, she recorded five birdies without any bogeys, finishing tied for sixth place with a total score of 8-under 208. By adding 42 points to her Player of the Year total, she accumulated 567 points, surpassing Seo Kyo-rim, who had 563 points before the tournament.
The prize money title also went to Kim Min-sol, who earned 1.62843 billion won this season, becoming the first player in KLPGA Tour history to surpass 1.6 billion won in a single season.
Kim Min-sol is only the fifth player in KLPGA Tour history to win the Rookie of the Year, Player of the Year, and prize money title in the same season, following Im Mi-na in 2002, Kim Joo-mi in 2003, Song Bo-bae in 2004, and Shin Ji-ae in 2006. This is the first time in 20 years since Shin Ji-ae.
The title of most wins went to Seo Kyo-rim, who secured four victories this season. However, she finished tied for 52nd in this tournament with a score of 4-over 220, leaving her disappointed.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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