Park Bo-gyeom speaks during her winner's interview. [Photo=KLPGA]
Park Bo-gyeom speaks during her winner's interview. [Photo=KLPGA]

Park Bo-gyeom won her first major title Sunday at the KB Financial Group Golden Life Championship, the third major of the KLPGA Tour season, which carried a purse of 1.5 billion won ($1.12 million).

Playing the final round at Blackstone Icheon Golf Club (par 72, 6,837 yards) in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province, Park carded three birdies and two bogeys for a 1-under-par 71, finishing at 5-under 283 to edge joint runners-up Yoo Seo-yeon 2, Bang Shin-sil and Park Ye-ji by one stroke. Her winner's check came to 270 million won.

Starting the day one stroke behind leader Park Ye-ji, Park Bo-gyeom built early momentum with a chip-in birdie from 16 yards on the par-5 first hole, then added a 3-meter birdie on the par-3 third. She gave those gains back, however, with a three-putt bogey on the par-5 fifth and a green-miss bogey on the par-3 seventh.

The back nine brought the outcome into sharp focus. Yoo Seo-yeon 2 reeled off three birdies against one bogey through the 13th hole to open a two-stroke lead and appeared on the verge of her first career win. A tee shot into a fairway bunker on the par-4 14th led to a bogey, and another green miss on the par-3 16th added a second bogey in quick succession, surrendering the lead.

Park Bo-gyeom had already set herself up for the finish, sticking her second shot to within 1.2 meters of the pin on the par-4 eighth for a birdie. With Yoo's collapse handing her the lead, Park parred the remaining 10 holes through the 18th to seal a one-stroke victory.

Park, who made her KLPGA Tour debut in 2021, claimed her fourth career title with the win. She took her first victory at the Kyochon 1991 Ladies Open in 2023, then added the Sangsangin·Hankyung WOW Net Open in 2024 and the Blue Canyon Ladies Championship in 2025 before capturing her first major trophy Sunday.

Park Ye-ji, who had entered the final round as leader, ran into trouble on the par-5 fifth hole, where a four-putt double bogey ultimately cost her a share of the title. She salvaged a tie for second by holing a downhill 1-meter birdie putt on the par-5 18th to finish at joint runner-up.

Bang Shin-sil was equally sharp early, making four consecutive birdies through the sixth hole, but a birdie, a bogey and a double bogey over the remaining holes left her also settling for a share of second place.

Seo Gyo-rim, chasing her fifth win of the season, posted four birdies against three bogeys for a 1-under 71, finishing at 3-under 285 in sole fifth place. After dropping two strokes on the front nine — three bogeys against one birdie — she rallied with three birdies on the back nine to climb the leaderboard.


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