Korea's national golf team swept both individual and team titles at the 23rd Neighbors Cup, a friendly tournament between the national teams of Korea, Japan and Taiwan.
Korea finished first in both the men's team event (42-under 606) and the women's team event (33-under 615). Team standings are determined by combining the scores of each country's top three players in every round of the individual competition. Korea has now captured the men's and women's individual and team titles for three consecutive editions, following its victories at the 21st and 22nd events.
An Hae-cheon of the Korea National Sport University shot a 5-under 67 in the third round held Monday at Taichung International Country Club (par 72) in Taiwan, finishing at a total of 16-under 200 to win the men's individual title by three strokes over Kim Min-soo of Howon High School's Affiliated Broadcasting and Correspondence High School.
Park Seo-jin of Seomun Girls' High School lifted the trophy in the women's individual event, finishing at 12-under 204 and beating Kim Yu-bin of Haksan Girls' High School by four strokes.
The two players had also won the men's and women's titles at the Taiwan Amateur Championship held last month in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, marking back-to-back victories in consecutive tournaments.
The Neighbors Cup began in 1996 as a national team exchange between the Korea Golf Association (KGA) and the Japan Golf Association (JGA), and was expanded into a three-nation friendly tournament when the Chinese Taipei Golf Association (CTGA) joined in 2001. The 24th edition will be held in Korea next year.
