Shin Sang-hun, Song Min-hyeok and Wang Jeong-hun mount pressure
Jang Yu-bin held the Genesis Points top spot for a sixth consecutive tournament, but a tightening pack of challengers has turned the season-ending Genesis Award race into a genuine contest.
Jang, 24, of Shinhan Financial Group, finished tied for 31st at the KPGA Tour's Hyundai Marine & Fire Insurance Choi Kyung-ju Invitational, which concluded Sunday, adding 120 points to bring his cumulative total to 4,412.70.
Jang claimed the Genesis Points lead earlier this season after winning back-to-back titles at the KPGA Classic with Imbita and the Hana Bank Invitational, and has held first place ever since.
His pursuers are closing the gap. Shin Sang-hun, 28, of PXG, who tied for eighth at the Choi Kyung-ju Invitational, moved into second place with 3,885.44 points, trailing Jang by 527.26 points. Song Min-hyeok, 22, of Dong-A Pharmaceutical, climbed to third with 3,728.49 points, while Jeong Chan-min, 27, of CJ Group, held fourth at 3,570.33 points.
Wang Jeong-hun, 31, claimed his first KPGA Tour victory at the Choi Kyung-ju Invitational and vaulted to fifth place with 3,546.20 points after collecting 1,000 points for the win. The gap between leader Jang and fifth-place Wang stands at 866.50 points.
The pivotal event in the award race will be the Genesis Championship, scheduled Oct. 22–25 at Ujeong Hills Country Club in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province. With 1,300 points on offer for the winner, a single tournament could reshuffle the entire top of the standings.
The season's Genesis Points champion receives a bonus prize of 200 million won ($147,000), a Genesis vehicle and a five-year KPGA Tour card, along with direct entry into the PGA Tour Q-School final stage and a one-year DP World Tour card.
yjc@heraldcorp.com
