▲ Jang Yu-bin
Jang Yu-bin maintained his bid for his third win of the season on the Korean Professional Golfers' Association (KPGA) Tour by finishing the third round of the 42nd Shinhan Donghae Open (total purse of 1.5 billion won) in second place, one stroke behind the leader.
Playing the third round at the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea Urban Links Course (par 72) in Incheon today (the 12th), Jang carded five birdies and a bogey for a 4-under-par 68.
Having shared third place through the second round with an 8-under-par 136, Jang moved to a total of 12-under-par 204, tying for second with Yujiro Ohori of Japan.
He sits just one stroke behind Kosuke Suzuki of Japan, who surged to the solo lead at 13-under-par 203 after shooting a brilliant 7-under-par on the day, setting up a thrilling final-round showdown for the championship tomorrow.
Jang, who swept the KPGA Tour Player of the Year, money list, and lowest scoring average titles in the 2024 season, moved to LIV Golf last year before returning this season.
Having won the KPGA Classic and the Hana Bank Invitational in June, he leads both the Genesis Points standings (3,642.7 points) and prize money race (589.81 million won). A victory this tournament would make him the first player to secure three wins this season while solidifying his lead in other individual categories.
The Shinhan Donghae Open is co-sanctioned by the KPGA Tour and the Japan Golf Tour Organization (JGTO), offering the champion a 5-year exemption on the KPGA Tour and a 2-year exemption on the JGTO.
Starting strong with birdies on the 1st hole (par 4), 3rd hole (par 5), and 6th hole (par 4), Jang encountered trouble on the 7th hole (par 5) when his tee shot drifted too far left into the woods. He reached the green in four shots and two-putted for his only bogey of the day.
However, he played bogey-free on the back nine, sinking a roughly 4-meter putt for a birdie on the 11th hole (par 4) and picking up another stroke on the par-5 18th closing hole to heighten anticipation for the final round.
Reflecting on his round, Jang said, "My tee shots were a bit disappointing. Mistakes came on holes where I wanted to keep the momentum going." He added, "It is also a pity that I only picked up one stroke on the par-5 holes, but overall, the rest was good."
"Because this is our main sponsor's tournament, I always feel nervous, and I expect it will be the same tomorrow," he said. "Tomorrow, I need to avoid bogeys and shave off as many strokes as possible on the par-5 holes. Being in the final group will not change my strategy."
Jung Chan-min, Ok Tae-hoon, Lee Sang-hee, and Lee Tae-hoon (Canada) tied for 5th place at 9-under-par 207, while Moon Do-yeop, who held the sole lead after the second round and will represent South Korea at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, dropped to a tie for 11th at 8-under-par 208 after losing two strokes.
Choi Chan, a two-time winner on the KPGA Tour this season, finished tied for 28th at 5-under-par 211, and defending champion Kazuki Higa of Japan completed the third round tied for 52nd at 2-under-par 214.
Kim Seong-hyun, who is set to compete alongside Moon Do-yeop in the Asian Games, teed off from the 10th hole and played through the 18th before withdrawing due to a toe injury.
The Asian Games golf competition kicks off on the 30th of this month.
(Photo provided by KPGA, Yonhap News)
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