Bae Yong-jun after making a birdie on the second playoff hole to win the tournament. [Photo=KPGA]
Bae Yong-jun after making a birdie on the second playoff hole to win the tournament. [Photo=KPGA]

Bae Yong-jun claimed victory at the Korea Professional Golf Association (KPGA) Tour's Lexus Masters, which carried a purse of 1 billion won ($749,000), after a tense playoff.

Bae entered the final round at Club72 Country Club's Ocean Course (par 71) on Yeongjongdo, Incheon, on Tuesday holding a four-stroke lead, but traded two birdies and two bogeys to finish at even par for the day. The round left Bae at 12-under-par 272 for the tournament, forcing a three-way playoff with Jang Yu-bin and Jeong Jae-hyeon.

The trio halved the first extra hole — the par-5 18th — with birdies. On the second trip down the same hole, Bae stuck a third shot to within 30 centimeters of the pin and tapped in for birdie to end the drama. Jeong missed a 5-meter birdie putt and Jang could not convert from 3 meters.

The victory is Bae's third on tour. Bae collected a winner's check of 180 million won and first won on the KPGA Tour at the Honors K·Solago CC Han Jang-sang Invitational in 2022, then added a second title at the KPGA Classic last year.

Jang and Jeong each shot 6-under to join the playoff but had to settle for a share of runner-up. Jang birdied the final hole in regulation to force a way into the extra holes, while Jeong missed a 2-meter birdie putt on the last and was pulled into the playoff having let slip a chance at a first KPGA Tour victory.


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