“As my career progresses, winning feels more difficult. I worried a lot about whether I could win 10 wins, but I am happy that I achieved it in good condition.”
‘Veteran’ Lee Jung-min (30), who is celebrating her 13th year on the Korean Women’s Professional Golf (KLPGA) tour this year, expressed her feelings after reaching the 10-win mark in her career.
In the final 3rd round of the KLPGA Tour PLK Pacific Rings Korea Championship (total prize money of 700 million won) held at the Twin Doves Golf Club (par 72) in Binh Duong, Vietnam on the 18th, Lee Jung-min reduced 1 stroke with 4 birdies and 3 bogies for a final total of 9 under par 207 Taro won the championship.
Lee Jung-min, who achieved a thrilling victory in the Dongbu Construction and Korea Land Trust Championship in October of last year after 5 years and 7 months, added a come-from-behind victory after 1 year and 2 months. The Dongbu Construction/Korea Real Estate Trust Championship was a modified Stableford method in which scores for each hole were calculated as points. It has been six years and nine months since the World Ladies Championship in March 2016 to win the stroke play competition.
Lee Jung-min, who started the final round in second place by one stroke, took advantage of the faltering gap of his competitors in the early stages and made four birdies up to the 12th hole, taking the lead by six strokes at one point. Afterwards, he committed three consecutive bogeys in the 14th to 16th holes in the second half, but was no longer allowed to pursue and achieved a double-digit victory 13 years after his debut on the KLPGA tour.
Lee Jung-min said, “I made a mistake because there was a lot of wind in the second half of the game and the pin was stuck in the most difficult place.”
Lee Jung-min was sluggish at the beginning of this year due to a back injury. The prize money ranking for the 2022 season stayed at 84th. He said, “It was difficult to show my performance because I continued to compete in competitions with my injuries not properly healed. 메이저놀이터
The average putt was also low enough to stay in 111th place (31.67), but this tournament was different. Lee Jung-min was delighted, saying, “A lot of putter research shone in the last competition in 2022.”
To improve his putting, Lee Jung-min showed enthusiasm by attending a putting seminar conducted by coach Stephen Sweeney on the PGA tour last month.
Coach Sweeney, who coaches top players such as Colin Morikawa (USA), Sergio Garcia (Spain), Shane Lowry (Northern Ireland), and Lee Gyeong-hoon, visited Korea last month and held a seminar with KPGA Korean Tour coach Kim Gyu-tae. Lee Jung-min, who researches and worries about golf, has earned the nickname ‘seeker of the field’.