Oh Seung-taek (28, Cowell) captured his first career victory at the Korea Professional Golf Association (KPGA) Tour's KPGA Founders Cup, which carried a total purse of 700 million won.
Oh shot a 5-under par 67 with five birdies and no bogeys in the fourth round of the tournament held Sunday at the Kyle Phillips Course (par 72) of Golfzon County Yeongam 45 in Yeongam, South Jeolla Province. His final total of 12-under par 276 edged out Jung Chan-min (11-under) by one stroke for the title.
Oh, who won individual silver and team bronze at the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games, lifted his first winner's trophy in his 49th start since making his regular tour debut in 2021.
The day's championship race boiled down to a duel between Oh and Jung, who served together on the amateur national team as senior and junior one year apart. The outcome was decided in the bunkers. Jung, who began the final round in the lead, suffered a costly double bogey on the par-3 5th hole. His shot from the greenside bunker sailed well past the green, costing him two strokes at once and dropping him from the top spot.
Meanwhile, Oh, playing in the group just ahead, sensed victory after grabbing a three-stroke lead with a spectacular bunker shot birdie on the par-3 14th hole. The ball, loaded with backspin, landed about 50 centimeters past the pin before being sucked into the cup. Although Jung closed the gap to one stroke with an eagle on the par-5 15th, Oh parred all remaining holes, and when Jung's birdie putt on the final hole missed, Oh shed tears during his on-air interview as his victory was confirmed. The winner's prize was 140 million won.
With four tournaments completed this season on the KPGA Tour, Oh became the third consecutive first-time champion, following Choi Chan at the Woori Financial Championship and Song Min-hyuk at the GS Caltex Maekyung Open.
