Refer Report

The winner’s trophy for the Shinhan Donghae Open (total prize money of 1.4 billion won), co-hosted by Korea, Japan and the Asian Tour, went to a Japanese player for the first time in two years.

Hirata Kensei (23, Japan, photo) won the tournament held at Club 72 Ocean Course (par 72) in Yeongjong-do, Incheon on the 8th with a 6-under 66, and a final total of 22-under 266, achieving his 5th career win. Hirata also set a record of winning for two consecutive weeks, following the Fuji Sankei Classic on the 1st. With this win, Harata received a 5-year seed for the Korea Professional Golfers’ Association (KPGA) Tour along with the prize money of 252 million won.

This is the fourth time a Japanese player has won the Shinhan Donghae Open, and the second time since it was co-hosted by the Korean and Japanese tours, following Kazuki Higa (Japan) in 2022. Kim Min-kyu (23), ranked first in the KPGA Tour prize money rankings, saved his pride by finishing in a tie for fourth place (17-under 271) after reducing his score by four strokes, while Lee Jung-hwan (33) finished in a tie for seventh place (15-under 273). Seven Japanese players made it to the top 10, but only two Korean players, so it looks like Japan won.

Reporter Jo Soo-young delinews@hankyung.com

Source: Korean