Victory comes in fourth JLPGA start; tournament carries Japan's largest purse in men's and women's pro golf
Park Hyun-kyung won the JLPGA Tour's Earth Mondahmin Cup with a total score of 12 under par, 276 strokes.
The tournament concluded Monday at Camellia Hills Country Club (par 72) in Chiba Prefecture, Japan, giving Park her first JLPGA Tour title in her fourth start on the circuit. It was her first victory in roughly 13 months, since a KLPGA Tour win in May last year.
Park's winner's check came to 72 million yen ($445,000). The tournament's total purse stands at 400 million yen, making it the richest event in Japanese professional golf across both the men's and women's tours.
The second round was suspended multiple times due to thunderstorms before ultimately being pushed back a day, forcing players to complete more holes than usual in a single day. With both stamina and concentration on the line, Park played steadily through to the end to secure the title. Her resilience under physical pressure was already on record: in 2024, she became the first player in KLPGA Tour history to win in back-to-back playoff rounds in consecutive weeks.
Seokgyo Sangsa, the domestic distributor of Bridgestone Golf equipment, dispatched a staff member to accompany Park throughout the tournament, handling interpretation and on-site support.
The Bridgestone Golf tour team said it would continue to support its players so they can perform at their best, calling the victory "a wonderful result born from our sincere dedication to Team Bridgestone athletes."
Meanwhile, Bridgestone Golf said it will hold an online event to mark the simultaneous wins in Japan and Korea — Park's victory at the JLPGA Earth Mondahmin Cup and Jeong Han-mil's win at the KPGA Gunsan CC Open — offering autographed bags and caps from both players as prizes.
yjc@heraldcorp.com
