On the 7th, Lee Ga-young won her 18th overall title at the 2024 Lotte Open (total prize money of 1.2 billion won) held at BearsBest Cheongna CC in Incheon, South Korea.
After finishing with a score of under 270, tied with Choi Ye-rim (25) and Yoon In-na (21), the match went into overtime. In the overtime, Lee Ga-young made a 1.5-meter birdie putt and
She secured the victory by beating Yoon In-na and Choi Ye-rim, who both scored pars. In a tournament that set a rare record of going into overtime three times in a row, Lee Ga-young won her second title in one year and eight months.
She won the final round of the tournament, securing the 216 million won prize. It was one of the best final rounds ever. Lee Ga-young, who started the final day with a comfortable three-stroke lead, was stuck at even par until the 11th hole.
Meanwhile, Choi Ye-rim and Yoon In-na were in hot pursuit. Both of them continued to score birdies without a bogey, threatening Lee Ga-young. In particular, Yoon In-na recorded an astounding nine birdies to take the lead.
She set a new record and took the match into overtime, but Lee Ga-young won the overtime with a precise birdie putt.
After her victory was confirmed, Lee Ga-young said, "I started the round three strokes behind, but for some reason I didn't feel any pressure.
I wasn't nervous, but when I had a chance to make a birdie, it didn't go in. I thought I'd be okay if I just waited patiently, but when I looked at the leaderboard in the second half, I saw a lot of people following me.
From that moment onwards, I started to feel nervous. But I played with the mindset of 'I'll try not to get scared' and 'I can't do better than I am now' and I was able to win the championship."
When asked why he had not gotten a birdie until the 11th hole, he said, "I hit the ball well, but I couldn't get any in. Still, I kept playing, waiting, thinking that if just one ball fell, I would get one."
"Since winning in 2022, the game hasn't gone well. There were many moments when things didn't go well, but I suddenly remembered them and tears came to my eyes," he said. "Until now, my performance hasn't been good, but I've received a lot of support.
"I was able to give it my all until the end thanks to the fans who supported me so well," he said. "My brother, who was deployed to the United Arab Emirates, came back to watch the tournament," he said. "I'm so happy to win the tournament with my whole family.
"I was in tears," she said after her victory. Lee Ga-young, who won after many twists and turns, said, "I won one in the first half, so I want to win one more in the second half. Personally, I'm glad that I won the Hite Jinro Champion PO.
"I want to win the championship. The beer drinking ceremony is special, and it makes me greedy," he said of his determination for the future. 18,500 spectators entered the FR, setting a new record for attendance, and the
At the final hole, the 18th hole, there was a special time to enjoy K-POP, with PSY's "Chang POon" and various other songs.
It was a unique event where the gallery danced to various K-POP songs, bringing a lot of enjoyment to the gallery.
