Choi Ye-rim Claims Emotional First Victory After 239 Events, Ending Nine Runner-Up Finishes; Kim Min-sol Reclaims Top Spot in Money Rankings

[Financial News] It was a sweet reward after she steadfastly endured the frustration of finishing runner-up nine times. Choi Ye-rim finally rose to the top of the Korean Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) Tour in her 239th attempt, putting an end to her long wait for a first title.
Choi Ye-rim carded three birdies and two bogeys for a one-under-par round in the final round of the KLPGA Tour's OK Savings Bank OK MAN Open, which carried a total purse of 1 billion won, at ADONIS COUNTRY CLUB in Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province, on the 6th.
Choi Ye-rim finished at 10-under 206 and narrowly held off Hee Jeong Lim, who mounted a fierce late charge to finish at 9-under 207, by one stroke. She lifted the first championship trophy of her career and earned 180 million won in prize money.
Since making her regular-tour debut in 2018, the final step to victory had been particularly elusive for Choi Ye-rim. She had finished runner-up nine times in total and also suffered a defeat in a playoff against Kim Min-sol at the McCol·Mona Yongpyong Open in June this season. But the outcome was different at this event, her 239th appearance on the regular tour. She did not let the opportunity slip away.
Starting the final round as the outright leader by three strokes, Choi Ye-rim picked up three birdies on the front nine with precise iron shots, missing the green only once. When she sank a 3.5-meter birdie putt on the ninth hole, a par-five, her lead over the chasing group had stretched to six strokes, making the contest appear likely to be a one-sided affair.

However, the contest swung dramatically on the back nine. As Choi Ye-rim stalled with a run of pars and then made consecutive bogeys on the 14th and 16th holes, both par fours, Hee Jeong Lim, who had gained three strokes on the front nine, added three birdies through the 15th hole and closed to within one stroke.
Choi Ye-rim reached the 18th hole, a par four, clinging to a nerve-racking one-stroke lead. Her tee shot headed into the rough on the right, creating a moment of danger. She calmly put her second shot on the green, then closed with a two-putt par to bring the long one-stroke battle to an end.
After being drenched by her teammates' celebratory water shower, Choi Ye-rim said, "I was very nervous because I remembered missing out on victory before, but I focused only on my own game without thinking about the stroke difference." With this victory, Choi Ye-rim climbed to third in both the money rankings and the points race, emerging as a major factor capable of disrupting the existing two-way race between Seo Gyo-rim and Kim Min-sol.
Meanwhile, Hee Jeong Lim, who displayed a dazzling touch with her shots, had to settle for a runner-up finish by one stroke. However, she made a strong comeback statement by jumping from 72nd to 38th in the money rankings. Kim Min-sol, who was seeking her fourth win of the season, shot a four-under 68 on the final day to finish alone in third at 8-under 208. She reclaimed the top spot in the season money rankings by overtaking Seo Gyo-rim, who was absent from the event.
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