South Korean amateur Kim Min-su wins Japan Amateur Championship

South Korean national team golfer Kim Min-su, 18, claimed a dominant victory at the 110th Japan Amateur Championship, the most prestigious amateur golf tournament in Japan.

Playing the final round Thursday at Yokkaichi Country Club in Mie Prefecture, Japan (par 72, 7,226 yards), Kim carded three birdies without a single bogey to finish at 17-under-par 271, pulling away from runner-up Fujii Taiki of Japan by five strokes.

Kim's performance throughout the week was commanding. He opened with a 6-under-par 66 to position himself near the top of the leaderboard, then followed with rounds of 67 and 69 to maintain the lead heading into the final day. He closed out the tournament with a bogey-free round, shaking off the pressure of the moment. Over four days, Kim posted one eagle, 16 birdies and just one bogey to reach his winning total of 17 under.

With the victory, Kim became the fifth South Korean to win the title, joining Lee Dong-hwan (2004), Kim Kyung-tae (2005, 2006) and Kim Bi-o (2008). It marks the first South Korean triumph at the event in exactly 18 years since Kim Bi-o's win. Fellow national team member Ahn Hae-cheon, 20, of Korea National Sport University, also competed and finished tied for 13th at 5-under-par 283.

Kim entered the tournament as a Korea Golf Association representative, having qualified through his victory at the 2025 Huh Jeong-gu Cup Korean Amateur Championship. He had previously won the national amateur titles of South Korea and Taiwan, and this latest triumph gave him a rare sweep of all three East Asian national amateur major championships.

"I had already won the national amateur titles in Korea and Taiwan," Kim said. "I wanted the Japanese national title too. Winning a tournament I really wanted to win, and collecting all three national titles — it's an incredible feeling. So many great Korean male golfers have won this event. I feel truly honored."

Kim added that a long putt on the fourth hole proved to be the turning point. "It was a really long putt — about 14 feet. After that went in, I felt like the win was mine," he said. "Winning here also gets me into the Japan Open in the fall. It's a tournament where legends like pro Han Jang-sang have won. I've been making a name for myself in Korea, and now I want to do the same in Japan."

The victory earned Kim a spot in the 91st Japan Open, the country's most prestigious professional major, to be held over four days from Oct. 15 at Taraho Country Club in Shiga Prefecture. He will also be eligible to compete in the 111th Japan Amateur Championship next year, provided he retains his amateur status.