Wang Jeong-hun finally claims first domestic title at Choi Kyoung-ju Invitational

Wang Jeong-hun captured his first victory on the domestic circuit Sunday, winning the KPGA Tour Hyundai Marine & Fire Insurance Choi Kyoung-ju Invitational, which carried a purse of 1.25 billion won.

Playing the final round at Ferum Club (par 72) in Yeoju, Gyeonggi Province, Wang carded four birdies against no bogeys to finish at 10-under-par 278, pulling away from runner-up Kim Hong-taek by three strokes. The winner's share came to 250 million won ($184,000).

Known as the "golf nomad," Wang had never previously won on the KPGA Tour. He made his debut on the DP World Tour in 2016, claiming his first title that year at the Hassan II Trophy before following up with a win at the Mauritius Open — a double that earned him rookie-of-the-year honors.

He continued his momentum in January 2017, winning the Qatar Masters — a star-studded DP World Tour event — for his third career title on that circuit. Military service then interrupted his career, and after his discharge in July 2022 he competed across the Asian Tour, the DP World Tour and the domestic circuit in search of a win, but came up empty each time.

The victory vaulted Wang to the top of the rookie-of-the-year standings with 2,294.67 points, making him the strong favorite to claim a late-blooming rookie award. He also moved to fifth on the Genesis Points list with 3,546.20 points and sixth on the money list with 487.22 million won ($358,000).

Wang entered the final round two strokes behind leader Kim Yeon-seop and quickly drew level with consecutive birdies on the second and third holes. When Kim Yeon-seop made bogey on the fourth hole, Wang moved one clear. He then put the tournament out of reach with back-to-back birdies on the 11th and 12th holes on the back nine, holing a 1.7-meter putt on the par-4 11th and a 1.8-meter putt on the par-5 12th.

Kim Yeon-seop briefly pulled back into a share of the lead with a birdie on the par-4 seventh hole, but his challenge unraveled on the par-5 12th, where he missed a 1.4-meter par putt and fell out of contention.

Kim Hong-taek secured the runner-up spot by draining a testing 5.5-meter birdie putt on the par-5 18th. Kim Yeon-seop dropped further back with bogeys on the 15th and 18th holes and finished in a tie for third at 6-under-par 282, alongside Lee Sang-hee, who shot a 5-under round on the day.

Bae Sang-moon, who had shared the lead after the second round, dropped two shots to finish in a tie for sixth at 3-under-par 285. Tournament host Choi Kyoung-ju dropped one shot on the final day to finish in a tie for 23rd at 2-over-par 290.