Korean golfer fires bogey-free 65 to finish 23 under par; dedicates win to late father

Lee Sang-hee tees off with a driver at the Sansan KBC Augusta on the JGTO. [JGTO]
Lee Sang-hee tees off with a driver at the Sansan KBC Augusta on the JGTO. [JGTO]

Lee Sang-hee, 34, claimed his first Japan Golf Tour Organization title on Sunday, 13 years after joining the circuit.

Lee carded a bogey-free, seven-birdie 65 in the final round of the Sansan KBC Augusta — purse 100 million yen ($624,000) — at Keya Golf Club (par 72, 7,293 yards) in Itoshima, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. His total of 23-under-par 265 gave him a three-stroke victory over runner-up Hosono Yusaku of Japan, who finished at 20-under 268. The winner's share was 20 million yen.

The victory was Lee's first on the JGTO since he began competing in Japan in 2013. It also ended a roughly nine-year title drought since his win at the 36th GS Caltex Maekyung Open in 2017 and marked his fifth professional victory overall.

Lee topped the JGTO qualifying tournament in 2012 and has split his time between the Korean and Japanese tours since 2013. He consistently contended at the top level but had been unable to break through in Japan in particular, finishing runner-up eight times on the JGTO alone.

At this same event in 2022, Lee finished at 15-under 273, one stroke behind Kawamoto Riki, to take runner-up honors. Returning to Keya Golf Club four years later, he erased that disappointment completely.

Lee began the final round in sole second place, one stroke off the lead. He made three birdies on the front nine, then pulled away on the back nine with four more, including three consecutive birdies at holes 13 through 15, to seal the win.

Lee is the first Korean player to win a JGTO-only event — one not co-sanctioned with the KPGA Tour — since Song Young-han triumphed at this same tournament in 2023.

"I'm truly happy to win for the first time since my debut on the JGTO in 2013," Lee said after the round. "I had come so close so many times — eight runner-up finishes on this tour — so it feels like I've finally reaped the rewards."

Lee also spoke of a promise he made to his late father. "After my father passed away in 2023, I vowed to show him a trophy," he said. "It means even more to me that I can now visit him with the winner's cup in hand. I want to keep this momentum going and keep adding titles. I'll do my best to deliver a good result at the upcoming 42nd Shinhan Donghae Open as well."


yjc@heraldcorp.com