Shin Sang-hoon wins Golfzon Open on second playoff hole for third career title

Shin Sang-hoon claimed his first win of the season and third career title at the KPGA Tour Golfzon Open, which carried a purse of 1 billion won ($724,000), defeating Jung Chan-min on the second playoff hole Sunday.

Shin carded a 2-under-par 69 in the final round at Golfzon County Seonsan in Gumi, North Gyeongsang Province, finishing at 16-under 268 to force a playoff with Jung. He won on the second extra hole. The winner's share was 200 million won.

Shin turned professional in 2018 and claimed his first KPGA title at the 2020 KPGA Championship, then added a second at the Players Championship in November 2023. He enlisted for mandatory military service that December and was discharged last June, returning to the tour this season. Sunday's victory — his 13th start since his comeback — brought his career total to three wins.

Shin had shared the lead with Jung through three rounds and moved ahead alone with a birdie on the par-4 first hole, but Jung fought back to open a two-stroke lead. The momentum shifted late: Jung bogeyed the par-4 16th, and Shin drained a 10.4-meter birdie putt on the par-3 17th to draw level.

Both players parred the 18th to send the tournament to a playoff. After halving the first extra hole with pars, Shin holed a 3-meter birdie putt on the second to seal the title.

Jung, who had held the outright lead through the 16th hole, will have to wait for his first win of the season and what would have been his third career title. Jeon Jae-han, Kim Chan-woo, Kim Young-su and Hwang Do-yeon finished in a four-way tie for third at 12-under 272.

The victory lifted Shin to second place in the Genesis Points standings with 3,597.69 points. He also secured an exemption from the first stage of PGA Tour Qualifying School, a benefit extended to the top five players in the Genesis Points rankings at the conclusion of the Golfzon Open, allowing him to enter the second stage of Q-School directly in December.

"I didn't feel like I had won until that last putt dropped," Shin said after his round. "After the long birdie putt went in on 17, I felt like I could win if I stayed focused."

He added that the wait during his military service had been frustrating. "I was eager to get back out on the course. Patiently making the most of those two precious years led to this result today," he said with a smile. "There are still a lot of tournaments left, and I think I'll win more."