Park Sang-hyun triumphed in a play-off.
Seongnam, Korea:
Park Sang-hyun renewed his love affair with the GS Caltex Maekyung Open Golf Championship by winning the long-standing event again with a birdie at the third play-off hole.
Park, who won the event in 2016, had to go the extra distance to lift his sixth professional title after he carded an even-par-71 in the final round to force his way into a play-off with fellow-Koreans
Chang Yik-eun and
Hwang Jung-gon and Indian
Gaganjeet Bhullar.
All four players ended the regulation 72 holes with a total of one-under-par 283 at the Namseoul Country Club.
Bhullar was attempting to break the Korean dominance of the tournament, which was last won by a foreign player in 2004 when American
Mark Calcavecchia emerged victorious.
But the Indian was the first of the quartet to bow out from the play-off at the first hole where he was unable to match the pars of his rivals.
Hwang was next to exit on the second extra hole after he carded a bogey while Park and Chang birdied.
At the third additional hole, the contest concluded when Chang missed a 15-foot par putt while Park made no mistake from inside 10 feet.
“I’m so pleased with my victory,” said Park. “It was hard fought, especially against so many good players. I was feeling confident ahead of the play-off as I was in a similar situation in 2016 when I won. I thought I could have won it at the first play-off hole when I had a makeable birdie putt. But it took me another two holes to get the job done.”
