Ko Ji-won soared to new heights on her home island of Jeju, clinching her maiden professional title at this year’s Jeju Samdasoo Masters and cementing her place as a full status KLPGA Tour player. Her breakthrough not only lifted her from a position of uncertainty as a "reserve player," but also saw her become part of the first-ever sister duo to win KLPGA Tour events in a single season.

On August 10, at Cypress Golf & Resort (par 72) in Seogwipo, Ko Ji-won shot a bogey-free final round, carding three birdies for a flawless 3-under 69. She finished with a total of 21-under 267, beating runner-up No Seung-hee (19-under 269) by two shots.

Ko Ji-won collected 180 million won (approx. USD 135,000) in first-place prize money, propelling her season earnings to about 337.27 million won and moving her up 16 places in the money rankings from 35th to 19th.

More valuable than the winner’s check, however, was securing full tour status. Ko Ji-woo, her elder sister, had finished 42nd at last November’s regular tour qualifying event, which left her with only conditional status. As a result, she had played just 9 of 17 tournaments this season due to entry limits. With many tournaments in the latter half of the season having reduced fields, opportunities were even scarcer.

Faced with what was effectively a last lifeline, Ko Ji-won delivered four days of poised golf en route to victory. Under KLPGA guidelines, a regular tournament winner receives a two-year full tour exemption, ensuring Ko’s status through the 2027 season and allowing her to enter the remaining tournaments this year regardless of priority status. Her first appearance as a tour winner will be at the BC Card Hankyung Ladies Cup in two weeks.

The win was made even more monumental with her joining sister Ko Ji-woo in the record books. Ko Ji-woo secured victory at the McCall Mona Yongpyong Open this June, and, with Ko Ji-won’s win two months later, the siblings became the first to both win tournaments in a single season since the Korea Ladies Professional Golf Association was founded in 1978.

While siblings have previously found success on the KLPGA Tour—Park Hee-young collected three wins (one in 2005 and two in 2006) and her younger sister Park Ju-young captured one in 2023—never before had sisters both claimed titles in the same year.

Ko Ji-won also put an end to her challenging run at the Jeju Samdasoo Masters. As an amateur in 2020 and 2021, she missed the cut as a sponsor’s invitee, and after turning pro, failed to advance beyond the cut line in 2023. Even last year, she only managed a tied-29th finish.

Leading the final round by two shots, Ko Ji-won pulled away with consecutive birdies on the 5th and 6th holes. No Seung-hee tried to close the gap with a birdie at the 14th, reducing the margin back to two strokes as Ko maintained her composure with a string of pars.

Ko faced her biggest challenge at the par-4 15th, missing the green with her approach and leaving herself a daunting three-meter putt for par after coming up short with her chip. Rising to the occasion, she holed the putt with confidence and carried the momentum through to the closing holes.

After steadying her nerves, she capped off her round with a celebratory birdie at the 18th. Greeted by showers of water and hugs from fellow players around the green, Ko basked in the moment. Her sister Ko Ji-woo also rushed to embrace her younger sibling, who had faced so many struggles.

Elsewhere, Yoon Ina returned from last week’s AIG Women’s Open major and overcame jet lag and fatigue to finish in a tie for third place at 17-under 271 in her first domestic appearance of the year. She now heads to her next LPGA Tour appearance at the CPKC Women's Open, starting on August 21.

Lee Da-yeon also finished at 17-under 271, sharing third with Yoon Ina. Lee Ga-young rounded out the top five at 16-under 272 for a solo fourth-place finish.

Note “This article was translated from the original Korean version using AI assistance, and subsequently edited by a native-speaking journalist.”

Photo=Seogwipo, Park Tae-sung