260 million extra-time tee shot, I thought I failed, but if that was a blessing in disguise
May 18, 2025
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Um Jae-woong won the KPGA Tour SK Telecom Open 2025, which ended after many twists and turns, and held 260 million won in prize money.
In the third and final round of the tournament held at Finx Golf Club on Jeju Island on the 18th, Um Jae-woong defeated a Korean-Canadian Taehoon Lee and lifted the trophy after an extended battle.
It was a really tough contest. On the first day of the competition, the fog prevented the competition from taking place. Even on the scheduled date of the second round, the schedule was not carried out normally due to fog, heavy rain, and lightning.
In the end, the competition decided to play three rounds on the 17th and 18th to determine the winner. On the 17th and 18th, the agreement was reached in a 54-hole format, which will cover the final 18 rounds on the afternoon of the 18th by holding the first and second rounds on the 17th and 18th.
In particular, the final third round was conducted in a shotgun manner, with different holes for each player to play, and there was an unprecedented situation in which it was difficult to confirm who was ahead.
Um Jae-woong finished 7 under par until the second round, starting the third round in 10th place, four shots behind leader Hwang Jung-gon. However, he jumped into the lead race by making birdies at holes 8, 9, 15, and 16.
While Hwang Jung-gon, who was doing well, was sluggish, Taehoon Lee also entered the race for the championship with many birdies. However, Taehoon Lee missed the last 6th hole par putt that could confirm the championship and recorded a bogey, allowing Um Jae-woong to play overtime.
The most difficult, extended, 18th hole. Taehoon Lee led the tee shot. I put it on the fairway. On the contrary, Um Jae-woong almost fell into the penalty area if his shot missed to the right, but stopped right in front of the bunker. Rather, this was lucky. It was rough, but Lai liked it. In addition, the ball went farther than the Taehoon Lee, so he was able to make a second shot behind him.
The Taehoon Lee is a fairway, but the second shot was pushed back and fell into the bunker as if feeling burdened by a long distance of 160m. Seeing this, Um Jae-woong chose the operation of stably putting his shot on the green at 144m rough.
Under pressure, the Taehoon Lee made a bunker shot mistake, and the bunker shot that followed failed to properly put it on the green, effectively ending the game here.
With this victory, Um Jae-woong not only won 260 million won in prize money, but also set a record for his third victory on the tour. He also won the KPGA Tour's four-year seed and 1,200 Genesis points.
Um Jae-woong said, `The players had a hard time due to weather problems, and many people, including the organizers, FinxGC, and the association, helped. In particular, I would like to thank the employees of FinxGC. You responded very kindly. Personally, it was a difficult situation due to poor physical strength, but I played as positively as I could because I had to accept it as a golfer", he expressed his feelings.
Um Jae-woong continued "I haven't won two games of the season yet. As the first win of the season came out quickly, I will do my best to win two games of the season. The upcoming 'Baeksong Holdings-Asiad CC Busan Open is held in its hometown and won the championship, which always receives a lot of support. I'll work hard on it" expressed his determination.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
