Song Ga-eun wins low-scoring Daebo hausD Open

Golf

Published: 10 Jul. 2022, 17:01

Song Ga-eun wins low-scoring Daebo hausD Open

Song Ga-eun celebrates winning the Daebo hausD Open at Seowon Valley Country Club in Paju, Gyeonggi on Sunday. [KLPGA]

Song Ga-eun took a wire-to-wire victory at the Daebo hausD Open at Seowon Valley Country Club in Paju, Gyeonggi on Sunday, three strokes ahead of Oh Ji-hyun.

Song smashed through her first round bogeyless, carding only 10 birdies, four strokes ahead of the runner-up on Friday. Three of the four players tied for second carded a bogeyless six-under-par.

On Saturday, Song started off with three consecutive birdies but carded her first bogey of the event on the par-4 fifth. That turned out to be her only bogey of the Daebo hausD Open.

However, Oh put pressure on Song, carding eight birdies and one bogey in the second round to move up to second place, two strokes behind Song. Oh was looking for her first win of the season and her first KLPGA title since last July, when she won the Jeju Samdasoo Masters Open.

Song started the final round at 14-under-par, two strokes ahead of Oh. Even on the final round, Song was able to stay bogeyless, carding four birdies on Sunday.

Song wasn’t the only player to go bogeyless on Sunday, as Ryu Hae-ran showed off a spectacular final round performance, carding eight birdies and jumping up from 22nd to tie for third.

Song slotted in her par putt with a comfortable lead, winning her first title of the season. This is Song’s second career title, after debuting on the KLPGA last year.

Last year, Song was named Rookie of the Year after putting on a spectacular performance, beating current world No. 2 Minjee Lee of Australia at the Hana Financial Group Championship to win her first ever KLPGA title.

Park Min-ji tees off on the first hole during the final round of the the Daebo hausD Open at Seowon Valley Country Club in Paju, Gyeonggi on Sunday. [KLPGA]

Defending Daebo hausD Open champion Park Min-ji finished tied for 10th. Despite failing to defend her title, Park was able to show off her form on the last hole of the second round, carding an eagle and stepping up to tie for fifth from 15th. If Park had won the Daebo hausD Open, that would have made her the first golfer to defend three titles in a single season in 40 years.

Park will be jetting off this Saturday to play the LPGA major The Evian Championship starting July 21. Park qualified for the event as the money winner of the 2021 KLPGA season.

Song’s 18-under-par is a new course record for the Daebo hausD Open, beating Park’s record of 16-under-par set at the inaugural event last year.

On top of the new course record, the fact that 58 of the 65 players who made the cut after the first two rounds were able to card an under-par score shows how well the golf course in Seowon Valley was managed.

“The green conditions are great,” said Song on Friday after playing the first round.

“I think I can putt with confidence because the greens are allowing the ball to go as I intended. I think that is why I was able to birdie so many times. The fairway conditions were also impeccable. I think that is why I could set a course record.”

Throughout the three rounds, three golfers were able to make hole-in-ones, Lee Su-jin making on the par-3 17th, Kim Su-yeon on the par-3 second and Yun Hwa-yeong on the par-3 eighth.

Song Ga-eun tees off in the second hole during the final round of the the Daebo hausD Open at Seowon Valley Country Club in Paju, Gyeonggi on Sunday. [KLPGA]

“To tell the truth, I was nervous this morning,” said Song on Sunday. “I stayed nervous until the second-to-last hole. I felt that I could win only in the last hole. The second shot in the last hole I think was the most important shot of the day. I was glad I was able to land it near the hole.”

Song has four top-10 finishes this season, making the cut in 10 of the 13 events she entered.

“My goal is to win two titles this season,” said Song on Sunday. “Now that I have my first win I will try to win my second. For events that I don’t get to win, I want to at least stay in the top 10.”

The KLPGA Tour continues Thursday with the Evercollagen Queens Crown 2022.

BY YUN SO-HYANG [yun.sohyang@joongang.co.kr]