Lee Da-yeon stages stunning comeback to claim 10th KLPGA title at Aurora World Championship

Lee Da-yeon delivered a dramatic comeback victory at the KLPGA Tour's Aurora World Championship — purse 1 billion won ($694,000) — played in sweltering heat, claiming her 10th career title.

In the final round Sunday at Aurora Golf & Resort (par 72) in Wonju, Gangwon Province, Lee carded a 3-under-par 69, featuring one eagle, four birdies and one triple bogey.

Her four-round total of 12-under-par 276 edged Kim Su-ji (11-under 277) by a single stroke. The victory came roughly 11 months after Lee's previous win at last September's Hana Financial Group Championship.

Lee sank a 5.8-meter birdie putt on the par-4 third hole, but trouble struck on the par-4 fifth when her second shot sailed out of bounds to the left, drawing a penalty and a triple bogey. She bounced back on the par-4 ninth, holing out from 123 meters in the fairway for a shot eagle — living up to her nickname "Ddukbaegi," meaning a resilient figure who always gets back up.

The heat took its toll on the leaders, with several top contenders losing focus and struggling down the stretch. Lee steadied herself with a string of pars from the 10th through the 14th hole, then ignited her charge with a birdie on the par-4 15th to pull within two strokes of leader Kim Su-ji.

Another birdie on the par-3 17th cut the deficit to one. On the par-4 18th, Lee placed her second shot to within 2.6 meters of the hole, while Kim overshot, leaving herself 22.5 meters away. Lee calmly converted her birdie putt, while Kim missed both her birdie attempt and the ensuing par putt, handing Lee the title in a stunning reversal.

The win made Lee the 17th player in KLPGA Tour history to reach 10 career victories. She collected 70 player-of-the-year points and prize money of 180 million won, moving from seventh to fourth in the points standings and from ninth to fifth on the money list.

Lee turned professional in 2015 and has battled through a fractured ankle, a torn wrist ligament and a back injury sustained in a traffic accident, earning her "Ddukbaegi" nickname by repeatedly returning to the winner's circle after each setback.

Seo Gyo-rim, who has two wins this season and sits second in both the player-of-the-year points and money standings, finished at 8-under 280 to share third place with Kim Jae-hee, Lee Ye-won and Lee Ji-hyeon, born in 1998.