Choi defeats Han Jae-min in final to claim 5 million won prize
Choi Hyung-min claimed the title at the Srixon ZXi RKT Long Drive Match with a drive exceeding 352 meters.
Golfzon announced Sunday that Choi recorded 352.19 meters in the tournament final held Friday at Golfzon Joymaaru in Daejeon, edging out Han Jae-min to take the championship.
The event, organized by Golfzon and sponsored by Srixon, was designed to find the country's longest hitter. Competitors qualified through an online preliminary round held over roughly two weeks, with 16 qualifiers joining three invited players — Kim Jun-nyeon, Lee Yong-hee and Shin Ji-eun — for a field of 19.
In the final, Choi's 352.19-meter drive bested Han's 347-meter effort. Choi had earlier knocked out Lee Jae-un in the semifinals with a 356.41-meter blast. Han advanced to the final by eliminating top qualifier Choi Jong-hwan — who had posted 385 meters in the preliminary round — by just 0.7 meters in the semifinals. Last year's champion Eom Seong-yong was eliminated by Han in the quarterfinals.
Choi took home the winner's prize of 5 million won ($3,740) along with a Srixon ZXi RKT driver. Runner-up Han received 3 million won. The total purse was 15 million won.
"It was an honor to compete on the same stage as Eom Seong-yong and Choi Jong-hwan, pros I have long admired," Choi said. "I will keep working hard to repay that with even better performances going forward."
yjc@heraldcorp.com
