Ryu Hae-ran wins Hite Jinro Championship as only player to finish under par

World No. 3 Ryu Hae-ran claimed the Hite Jinro Championship — the final major of the KLPGA Tour season, with a purse of 1.5 billion won ($1.1 million) — as the only player to finish under par in the invitational event.

Playing the final round Saturday at Blue Heron Golf Club (par 72) in Yeoju, Gyeonggi Province, Ryu carded four birdies and one bogey for a 3-under-par 69 — tied for the day's best round — to finish at 4-under-par 284, pulling away from joint runners-up Kim Min-sol and Kim Min-ju by four strokes.

Narrow fairways, deep rough and firm, fast greens made the course a stern test throughout the week, with most competitors struggling to stay at even par or better. Ryu played with the composure of a world-class player, posting the only under-par total across all four rounds.

The victory gave Ryu her first KLPGA Tour major title and her sixth career win on the circuit. It was also her first win on home soil in four years and five months, since the 2022 Nexen-Saint Nine Masters. Her winner's check came to 270 million won.

Ryu also won back-to-back majors on the LPGA Tour this season. She claimed her first major title at the KPMG Women's PGA Championship in June, then followed it up two weeks later with a second consecutive major at the Amundi Evian Championship in France.

Entering the final round one stroke off the lead, Ryu seized control early, draining birdies from 2.4 meters on the par-5 fourth hole and 8 meters on the par-4 sixth, then adding another from 4.2 meters on the par-5 10th to move three under for the day and build a comfortable advantage. The smooth path to victory, however, briefly grew complicated.

Seo Eo-jin had picked up three birdies through the 14th hole to close within two strokes. But misfortune struck Seo on the par-4 15th, when her tee shot caromed off a cart path and lodged in a small tree on a slope. After declaring an unplayable lie and taking a one-stroke penalty, she needed four shots to reach the green and two-putted for a double bogey.

Ryu three-putted the par-4 14th for a bogey in the final group, but Seo's double bogey in the group ahead had already removed any real threat from the back nine. Ryu then put the tournament away on the par-3 16th, sticking her tee shot to within a meter of the pin for a birdie that stretched her lead to four strokes.

Kim Min-sol, who had shared the lead through the second round, shot a 1-under-par 71 on the final day — two birdies, one bogey — to finish at even-par 288, tied with Kim Min-ju, who also finished two under on the day, for joint runner-up.

Kim Min-sol's share of the runner-up prize — 142.5 million won — lifted her season earnings to 1.53 billion won, setting a new single-season prize money record on the KLPGA Tour.

Lee Ji-hyun 3 birdied the 16th and 17th holes in succession to finish two under on the day and take sole fourth place at 1-over-par 289. Lee Da-yeon fired a 3-under-par 69 — also tied for the day's best — to end at 2-over-par 290, joining Seo Eo-jin, Choi Ye-bon and Kim So-jeong in a share of fifth place.