Lee Da-yeon takes first major title of the season at CreaS F&C KLPGA Championship

Lee Da-yeon hits a shot on the second hole during the 45th CreaS F&C KLPGA Championship at the Lakewood Country Club in Yangju, Gyeonggi on Sunday. [KLPGA]

Lee Da-yeon became the first major champion of the 2023 KLPGA season, winning the 45th CreaS F&C KLPGA Championship — her third major title — at the Lakewood Country Club in Yangju, Gyeonggi on Sunday.

Lee carded a four-under-par, 68, with seven birdies and four bogies in the last round, managing a 13-under-par, 275, to be crowned the first major champion of the season.

The 25-year-old competed fiercely with Bang Shin-sil until the 14th hole, but Lee made three consecutive birdies on the 15th, 16th and 17th holes and managed a par on the last hole, ultimately marking her victory.

Bang, on the other hand, finished tied for fourth with five more strokes than Lee.

Defending champion Kim A-lim, who competes on the LPGA tour, tied for 22nd with a two-under-par, 286.

Sunday’s title is also Lee’s seventh KLPGA title — the last was at the Hanwha Classic 2021.

She missed out the entire second half of last year due to a ligament rupture on her arm, but started to regain her old form by finishing fifth at the Nexen Saint Nine Masters last week.

“A lot of people helped me get to this day and I was able to win because they were with me when I was undergoing rehabilitation,” Lee said after the event. “I think eagerness played the biggest role.

“Judging my performance, I think I am getting better and better as I compete.”

Lee's victory at the CreaS Championship also snapped the unusual run of first-time winners on the KLPGA Tour this year: The three other tournaments so far this year all went to first-time winners.

Lee Ye-won won the Lotte Rent-a-Car Women’s Open on April 9, Lee Joo-mi won the Mediheal-Hankook Ilbo Championship on April 16 and Choi Eun-woo also took her first title at the Nexen Saint Nine Masters last Sunday.

The KLPGA tour will continue next week with the Kyochon 1991 Ladies Open at the Asiad Country Club in Busan on Friday.

BY PAIK JI-HWAN [paik.jihwan@joongang.co.kr]